The legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively was initiated in earnest in December 2024, but the situation has arguably ramped up, since the two have filed lawsuits against one another. Baldoni, for his part, is suing his former It Ends with Us collaborator, her husband, Ryan Reynolds and more for alleged defamation, extortion and more. Amid his claims, the actor/director has also roped in Deadpool & Wolverine – Reynolds’ Marvel Studios production. Most recently, Baldoni made new claims in an amendment to his suit.
What Did Justin Baldoni Say About Deadpool & Wolverine In His Legal Amendment?
Deadpool & Wolverine’s involvement in this situation specifically has to do with the character known as Nicepool. A multiversal variant of the franchise’s lead character, Wade Wilson, Nicepool is portrayed as being a softer character compared to Wade. However, Baldoni contends that the character was meant to lampoon him. A new amendment in his suit, which is available on a newly launched website, lays out the Jane the Virgin alum’s issues with the character and why he believes Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively “bullying” him:
The film contained a new character named ‘Nicepool,’ also portrayed by Reynolds. Reynolds portrayed Nicepool as a vicious caricature of a ‘woke’ feminist before concluding the character’s arc with his violent shooting death at the hands of ‘Ladypool,’ a character voiced by Blake Lively. Upon information and belief, the Nicepool scenes were added to the movie and filmed in January 2024, after the January 4 confrontation in Reynolds and Lively’s apartment, and were intended to be a transparent and mocking portrayal of Reynolds’ warped perception of Baldoni. Nicepool commented inappropriately on a female character’s attractive body after childbirth and excused his remark by claiming he identified as a feminist. Nicepool also made reference to an ‘intimacy coordinator’ and even used a hairstyle that mirrored Baldoni’s previously longer hair.
Earlier this year, Marvel fans took to social media to express their belief that Deadpool & Wolverine trolled Justin Baldoni via the inclusion of Nicepool, who was ultimately killed by Blake Lively’s Ladypool. Marvel Studios was formally roped into the matter when company president Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger received a litigation hold letter from Baldoni’s legal team in regard to his then “anticipated claims.” Another tidbit some noticed was that in D&W (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription), “Gordon Reynolds” was referred to as the actor portraying Nicepool. “Gordon” also received a special thanks in the credits of It Ends with Us.
How this superhero-centric subject ultimately plays into the legal proceedings remains to be seen. It is, however, only one part of a more complex legal situation that’s currently playing out between two ex-colleagues.
What Prompted Blake Lively And Justin Baldoni To Take Legal Action Against Each Other?
Blake Lively filed a legal complaint against Justin Baldoni, his Wayfarer Studios production company and more in December 2024. In the notice, the actress and producer accused Baldoni of having sexually harassed her on the It Ends with Us set and alleged that he and his team launched a smear campaign against her. Baldoni denied the claims and ultimately sued The New York Times (which originally published Lively’s legal filing) for $250 million, alleging that the news outlet committed libel among other offenses when laying out the story.
Ultimately, the Shallows star sued her former director and his company for retaliation and sexual harassment. The Five Feet Apart helmer subsequently voiced his intent to countersue and did so for $400 million, based on the claims mentioned earlier. As part of his amendment to the suit, he also claimed his co-star plotted with the NYT on the outlet’s initial piece for months. He also argued that the site’s metadata proved it had access to the actress’ complaints for at least 11 days before the story was published.
At this point, it’s unclear just how long the Baldoni/Lively legal battle will continue, though some experts have weighed in. One defense attorney opined that the situation is “going to get nastier” as the two stars continue to use their resources against each other. Neither side seems to be backing down from their arguments and, per his recent amendment, that appears to be true of Baldoni’s claims involving Nicepool.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
