By Page Six | Created at 2025-01-15 02:52:57 | Updated at 2025-01-15 09:12:05
6 hours ago
Justin Baldoni’s lawyer reportedly sent a litigation letter to Disney demanding they keep any documents that mention him so he can prove Ryan Reynolds was mocking him via his Nicepool character in his 2024 film, “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
According to People, the “It Ends With Us” star’s legal team sent the letter on Jan. 7 to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger.
The letter reportedly asks for “any and all documents relating to the development of the Nicepool character” and “communications relating to the development, writing and filming of storylines and scenes featuring Nicepool” for potential use in court.
Specifically, Baldoni’s team is interested in correspondence “relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate or bully Baldoni through the character of Nicepool,” according to People.
The legal letter was reportedly sent the same day Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, slammed a viral deleted scene from “Deadpool & Wolverine” which he said was an “obvious” dig at his client.
The scene shows Reynolds’ Nicepool character sporting a man bun — a hairstyle that Baldoni wore for years — as he discussed Blake Lively’s minor character of Ladypool.
“Oh my goodness, wait til you’ve seen Ladypool,” he raved. “She is gorgeous. She just had a baby too, and [you] can’t even tell.”
Lively, of course, had given birth to her and Reynolds’ fourth child in February 2023 — shortly before she began filming with Baldoni for “It Ends With Us.”
In her bombshell Dec. 31 sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni, Lively claimed he made several comments about her postpartum weight throughout production.
During the scene in question, Nicepool went on to say that he identifies “as a feminist” and that he plans “to one day start a podcast that monetizes the women’s movement.”
Baldoni, who identifies as a feminist, has a podcast called “Man Enough Podcast,” which speaks about gender roles and what it means to be a man in today’s society.
The “Jane the Virgin” alum has not directly sued Lively or Reynolds, but Freedman told NBC News on Jan. 3 that the actor plans to take legal action against her.
“We plan to release every single text message between the two of them. We want the truth to be out there,” he said.
In addition to sexual harassment, Lively accused Baldoni along with his PR team of formulating a smear campaign to “destroy” her reputation with “social manipulation.”
Baldoni, of course, has denied all allegations and maintains his innocence.
He sued the New York Times on Dec. 31 for $250 million over their story about Lively’s sexual harassment complaint against him.
He accused the outlet of “libel and false light invasion of privacy.”
He also alleged that Lively was difficult to work with during production and threatened to leave the movie if her “multiple demands and threats” were not met.
Page Six reached out to reps for Baldoni, Lively and Reynolds on the latest development in their ongoing drama but did not immediately hear back.
