Justin Baldoni has accused Disney and Marvel of mocking him through a character in Deadpool & Wolverine, escalating his legal battle involving Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
Baldoni’s lawyer sent a letter to Disney executives, claiming Reynolds, who co-wrote the film, used the character “Nicepool” to ridicule him in light of allegations made by Lively.
Highlights
- Justin Baldoni accused Disney and Marvel of mocking him via the "Nicepool" character in his movie Deadpool & Wolverine.
- Baldoni warned Disney/Marvel to hold documents involving Ryan Reynolds' characters in the film.
- As a result, Baldoni's legal battle escalated with allegations of workplace misconduct from Blake Lively.
Baldoni is now reportedly warning Disney and Marvel to hold onto all docs related to the various characters Reynolds played in Deadpool & Wolverine.
The 40-year-old’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, fired off a legal letter to Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Disney’s Bob Iger, indicating he believes Reynolds was openly mocking Baldoni in a scene from the July 2024 release, TMZ reported on Tuesday (January 14).
Justin Baldoni has accused Disney and Marvel of mocking him through a character in Deadpool & Wolverine
Image credits: James Devaney/GC Images
In the scene, Reynolds, who played a character called "Nicepool,” said the following line: "Where in God's name is the intimacy coordinator?!"
The actor also complimented Lively’s character Ladypool for "snapping back" after having a baby and made a comment about being a feminist.
Nicepool’s dialogue could allude to allegations that Baldoni ignored workplace boundaries and created an unsafe environment on the set of It Ends with Us.
Complimenting Ladypool for "snapping back" after childbirth parallels accusations from Lively that Baldoni fat-shamed her postpartum body and was overly critical of her appearance during filming.
Image credits: Jesse Grant/Getty Images
Moreover, Baldoni had been a prominent advocate for gender equality and had publicly championed feminist ideals.
He often discussed toxic masculinity and the importance of redefining masculinity in his book Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity and the accompanying podcast.
However, his reputation took a significant hit following allegations by Lively, who accused him of creating a hostile work environment on the set of It Ends With Us.
Baldoni was consequently stripped of the Voices of Solidarity Award in December 2024, an award given to men who have shown courage and compassion in advocating for women and girls.
This escalated Baldoni's legal battle involving Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively
Image credits: Disney+
Baldoni’s new letter sent from his lawyer reportedly demands Deadpool’s studio keep "all documents relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of 'Nicepool.'"
Reynolds, who was a writer, producer, and star of Deadpool & Wolverine, is reportedly supporting his wife during the controversy.
As a result, Baldoni has accused Reynolds of badgering him during a meeting, but sources close to Reynolds denied this, TMZ reported.
Baldoni's legal letter reportedly hinted at potential claims, including interference with contracts and civil extortion.
Image credits: justinbaldoni
This follows ongoing disputes stemming from the filming of It Ends with Us, where Lively alleged sexual harassment and workplace misconduct against Baldoni, leading to lawsuits and public accusations from both parties.
The legal battle has drawn significant attention, with claims of smear campaigns and retaliatory actions surfacing from both sides.
Days after Lively made scathing allegations against her Baldoni, the actor/director made accusations of his own against the actress and claimed she tried to ban him and his team at Wayfarer Studios from the film’s August premiere, Bored Panda previously reported.
On New Year’s Eve, the 40-year-old actor filed a $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times, in which he accused Lively of trying to “undermine” his role as a director and executive producer of the film, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel.
Baldoni’s lawyer sent a letter to Disney executives, claiming Reynolds, who co-wrote the film, used the character “Nicepool"
Image credits: Disney+
He claimed she “systematically sidelined [him] from the marketing of his own film” and “reluctantly” agreed to let him attend the film’s premiere.
“Further undermining Baldoni’s role, Lively initially refused to permit his attendance at the Film’s premiere. Only after significant pressure did she reluctantly agree to allow Baldoni and the Wayfarer team to attend, but under humiliating conditions.”
“The Wayfarer team and their families, including Baldoni and [producer Jamey] Heath, were segregated from the main cast, barred from the exclusive after-party, and forced to organize their own event at additional cost,” the lawsuit continued.
Lively and Baldoni were never seen together in photographs during marketing events, and they also watched the film in separate movie theatres on August 6.
Image credits: James Devaney/GC Images
In addition to controlling his red carpet participation, the actor also claimed Lively had “stolen” the film from them.
“Baldoni’s participation on the red carpet was cut short, and his family and friends were confined to a makeshift holding area in the basement before being escorted into a separate theater after Lively’s departure,” his filing stated.
“Not only had Lively stolen the Film, but she also robbed Baldoni and his team of any genuine opportunity to celebrate their hard work.”
The lawsuit also mentioned Reynolds, who allegedly tried to “exile” Baldoni from the project and “berated” him during a meeting at the couple’s New York penthouse.
Baldoni is now reportedly warning Disney and Marvel to hold onto all docs related to the various characters Reynolds played
Image credits: justinbaldoni
Rumors of a feud between the two Hollywood stars had been swirling for months before the matter escalated and took a legal turn in December 2024.
On the same day Baldoni filed the lawsuit against the New York Times, the actress filed a lawsuit in New York against her co-star for causing “severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration, and mental anguish.”
Prior to filing the lawsuit, Lively filed a legal complaint—a precursor to a lawsuit—with the California Civil Rights Commission on December 20, 2024.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star alleged that Baldoni’s PR team orchestrated online attacks, including manipulating social media narratives after she reported inappropriate on-set behavior, Bored Panda previously reported.
Image credits: MoviesPool/Marvel
Lively, who initially sought a safe workplace after raising concerns about physical boundaries and unwanted advances, claimed in her legal complaint that a PR smear campaign against her escalated following It Ends with Us' August 2024 release.
Subpoenaed text messages included in the actress’ filing revealed that Baldoni's PR team allegedly orchestrated efforts to damage her reputation by planting negative stories and manipulating social narratives.
One text from PR agent Jennifer Abel read: “The narrative online is so freaking good and fans are still sticking up for Justin,” highlighting the deliberate effort to sway public opinion against Lively.
Baldoni denied the allegations, while Lively garnered public support from family, friends, and author Colleen Hoover.
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