Justin Baldoni Demands Disney, Marvel Preserve ‘All Documents Relating’ to Ryan Reynolds’ Nicepool in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Amid Blake Lively Legal Battle (EXCLUSIVE)

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Apparently, it does not end with them.

The impact of the legal dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is still expanding, drawing in more prominent figures from the entertainment industry such as Marvel’s President Kevin Feige, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and filmmaker Tim Miller, who are now caught up in the unfolding events.

On January 7th, Bryan Freedman, representing client Baldoni, sent a legal notice called a litigation hold letter to Feige and Iger. This was in preparation for potential claims against Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and unspecified others. EbMaster has obtained a copy of this letter which requests that the studio save all pertinent documents and digital data related to Baldoni.

On January 7th, Baldoni’s lawyer sent a letter asking Feige and Iger to keep all important documents and data concerning Baldoni because they might need to sue Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, and some unknown people. EbMaster has seen this letter.

The unexpected decision could stem from the fact that “It Ends With Us,” the film at the heart of the Lively and Baldoni dispute, was distributed by Sony, not Disney. However, Baldoni’s legal representative alleges that Ryan Reynolds, Lively’s husband, made a clear jest at Baldoni in a scene from Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which was produced by Disney in July. In this scene, Reynolds portrayed “Nicepool,” an awkward counterpart to the main character Deadpool, delivering lines like “Where on earth is the intimacy coordinator?!” and praising Ladypool for swiftly regaining her pre-pregnancy figure.

In the film “It Ends With Us,” Lively, who played Ladypool, has accused Baldoni of sexually harassing and body-shaming her after childbirth. When Deadpool calls out Nicepool’s misogyny in a scene, Nicepool responds by claiming to be a feminist. However, during the production of “It Ends With Us,” a drama focusing on domestic violence, Baldoni frequently boasted about his feminist beliefs and support for women.

As a film enthusiast, I’ve tried reaching out for comments from Marvel, Disney, Reynolds, Lively, and their respective attorneys, but none have responded as of yet. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get hold of Freedman either, as he might be one of the industry figures who lost their homes in the ongoing Pacific Palisades fire.

The legal hold notice dispatched on the day the fires ignited requires Marvel and Disney to save any and every document connected to the creation of the ‘Nicepool’ character, in addition to all correspondence related to the development, scriptwriting, and filming of storylines and scenes involving ‘Nicepool.’ Furthermore, it requests that the studio keep “all documents related to or indicating an intentional effort to ridicule, harass, belittle, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of ‘Nicepool.’

Regarding Reynolds, the multi-talented figure behind “Deadpool & Wolverine”, there’s been no public clarification about any link between him and Baldoni, despite fans pondering this possibility well before their ongoing legal disputes that have led to three lawsuits so far. On New Year’s Eve, Baldoni and a group of ten others filed a lawsuit against The New York Times for a staggering $250 million. This was in response to an article heavily based on a complaint by Lively filed with the California Civil Rights Department, which accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and launching a retaliatory online campaign. The plaintiffs argued that the Times manipulated their communications, removing important context and rearranging them to mislead readers. Additionally, the lawsuit claimed that Lively initiated her own malicious campaign and made false accusations to gain sole control over the production’s aspects.

On “The Megyn Kelly Show” on January 7th, Freedman brought up the character from Nicepool and stated, “There’s no doubt it links to Justin. After all, anyone who watched that ponytail,” Freedman explained. He also expressed puzzlement as to why Reynolds would use his wife’s alleged sexual harassment as material for jokes. “If someone is genuinely sexually harassed, you don’t joke about it. It’s a significant matter,” Freedman concluded.

The “preservation of evidence” letter, penned prior to potential disputes concerning Ryan Reynolds and Tim Miller’s alleged tortious interference with contracts and civil extortion, extends beyond the character of Nicepool and hints at a Lively/Baldoni-type dispute between Reynolds and Miller. This pair had a history of disagreements, with Miller directing the first Deadpool movie but not returning for its sequel or Deadpool & Wolverine. The letter advises the studio to save all documents and data pertaining to complaints lodged against Ryan Reynolds by any individual, including Tim Miller, as well as Miller’s departure from Deadpool 2 and any situations where Reynolds asserted “creative control” over film projects. (At the time of writing, Miller declined to comment.)

A litigation hold notice typically comes before a legal dispute. While Baldoni hasn’t filed a lawsuit against Lively or Reynolds, Freedman has hinted at an upcoming court case, mentioning his intention to sue the influential Hollywood duo “out of existence.” After the Times article was published, Baldoni was dropped by WME, the agency he previously shared with Lively and Reynolds. Notably, WME also represents Miller.

Following a lawsuit filed by Baldoni, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel against the Los Angeles Superior Court, Lively retaliated with a lawsuit in federal court, which closely resembled her CRD letter. Meanwhile, Baldoni’s former publicist, Stephanie Jones, sued both Baldoni and the duo of Nathan and Abel, alleging that Baldoni breached his contract and that they conspired to defame her. Lively’s legal team acknowledged that Jones’ company was responsible for the text messages included in the actress’ CRD letter and the Times article.

In the movie “Deadpool & Wolverine,” I, as Deadpool, remarked about Ladypool: “She’s drop-dead gorgeous. You wouldn’t guess she just had a baby.” This line seems to echo Rachel Lively’s claim that Ricky Baldoni made comments similar to mine about her post-pregnancy body after the birth of her fourth child. (Baldoni’s lawsuit against The New York Times states that he inquired about her weight due to back issues that restricted the amount of weight he could lift during their shared workout sessions.)

In the closing scenes of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the actor portraying Nicepool is credited as Gordon Reynolds instead of Ryan Reynolds. This is surprising, as Blake Lively acknowledged Gordon Reynolds in the end credits for “It Ends With Us,” which appears to tie back to Nicepool. Furthermore, in a July 22 Instagram post featuring tags for both “Deadpool” and “It Ends With Us,” Lively wrote about men who claim to be feminists, hinting at Nicepool’s character.

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2025-01-15 00:48