Justin Baldoni Files Legal Letter To Disney, Marvel Over Nicepool

Apparently it doesn’t end with them.

The fallout from Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battle continues to spread, with Marvel president Kevin Feige, Disney chief Bob Iger and director Tim Miller becoming the latest industry figures to be swept up in the drama.

On January 7, Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman sent a lawsuit letter to Feige and Iger regarding his client’s “anticipated claims” against Ryan Reynolds, Lively and other unnamed parties. Black has seen a copy of the letter, which calls on the studio to preserve all relevant documents and data regarding Baldoni.

The move may come as a surprise given that “It Ends With Us,” the film at the center of the Lively and Baldoni rift, was released by Sony and had nothing to do with Disney. But Baldoni’s lawyer believes Lively’s husband Ryan Reynolds openly mocked Baldoni in a sequence in Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which was released by Disney in July. The sequence features Reynolds playing “Nicepool,” a cool alternate version of the eponymous hero Deadpool, saying lines like “Where in God’s name is the intimacy coordinator?!” and compliments Ladypool on “snapping back” into shape after giving birth.

Lively, who made headlines as Ladypool, recently accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and fat shaming of her postpartum body on the set of “It Ends With Us.” When Deadpool points out Nicepool’s misogyny in the scene, the latter replies, “It’s okay, I identify as a feminist.” (During the development, production and marketing of “It Ends With Us,” a drama about domestic violence, Baldoni often touted her credentials as a feminist and ally of women.)

Marvel and Disney declined to comment, as did a lawyer for Reynolds and Lively. Freedman could not be reached for comment. He is believed to be one of the many industry figures whose homes were destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire that is still raging.

The lawsuit, which was sent the day the fires began, calls on Marvel and Disney to preserve “any and all documents relating to the development of the ‘Nicepool’ character” as well as “communications related to the development, writing and filming of storylines and scenes with ‘Nicepool’.” The letter also calls on the studio to retain “all documents relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate or bully Baldoni through the character ‘Nicepool’.”

Reynolds – who wrote, produced and starred in “Deadpool & Wolverine” – has never addressed whether there is a connection between Nicepool and Baldoni, even as fans speculated just that long before the current legal clash between the parties that has spawned three lawsuits. to date. On December 31, Baldoni and nine others sued the New York Times for $250 million over its story, which relied heavily on a letter filed with the California Civil Rights Department by Lively accusing the director of sexual harassment and waging a retaliatory campaign online. The group accused the Times of using “cherry-picked” and manipulated communications “stripped of necessary context and deliberately spliced ​​to mislead.” The complaint also alleged that Lively was the one who initiated her own “strategic and manipulative” smear campaign, using false claims “to assert unilateral control over all aspects of the production.”

During an appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show” on January 7, Freedman referenced the Nicepool character. “There’s no question that it relates to Justin. I mean, anyone who saw that hair bun,” Freedman said. He also questioned why Reynolds would use his wife’s alleged sexual harassment for comedic fodder. “If someone is seriously sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of it. It’s a serious problem,” Freedman added.

The lawsuit letter, which was written in advance of “anticipated claims related to Reynolds and Lively’s tortious interference with contract and civil extortion,” goes well beyond the Nicepool character and suggests a Lively/Baldoni-style rift exists between Reynolds and Miller, who directed the first “Deadpool” film but did not return for the sequel or “Deadpool & Wolverine.” (The director and star are known to have clashed.) The letter instructs the studio to preserve all documents and data “related to complaints made against Ryan Reynolds by any person, including without limitation Tim Miller” and Miller’s departure from the film “Deadpool 2” as well as any instance of Reynolds exercising “creative control over any film project.” (Miller did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

A writ of summons often precedes a lawsuit. Baldoni has not sued Lively or Reynolds, but Freedman has indicated a lawsuit is imminent, telling Kelly he plans to sue the Hollywood power couple “to oblivion.” Following the publication of the Times story, Baldoni was dumped by WME, the agency he shared with Lively and Reynolds. WME also represents Miller.

After Baldoni and a group that also includes publicists Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel sued the Times in Los Angeles Superior Court, Lively sued the plaintiffs in federal court in a complaint that mirrored her CRD letter. And Baldoni’s former publicist Stephanie Jones sued him and Abel and Nathan. Jones claims that Baldoni broke her contract and that Nathan and Abel conspired to attack her. Lively’s lawyers confirmed that Jones’ company was the source of the text messages that appear in the actress’ CRD letter and the Times story.

In “Deadpool & Wolverine”, Nicepool says of Ladypool: “She’s beautiful. She also just had a baby and you can’t even tell.” It appears to mirror Lively’s claim that Baldoni badgered her with similar comments after she gave birth to her fourth child. pounds he could lift.)

In the credits of “Deadpool & Wolverine”, the actor playing Nicepool is listed as “Gordon Reynolds” and not Ryan Reynolds. In a strange twist, Lively thanked Gordon Reynolds in the closing credits of “It Ends With Us,” drawing an apparent line to Nicepool. And in the July 22 Instagram post, tagging @deadpoolmovie and @itendswithusmovie, Lively wrote “about nice men using feminism as a tool.”