Justin Baldoni has reportedly demanded that Disney keep hold of all documents that show a character played by Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool and Wolverine was created to “bully” him.
Baldoni is currently locked in a legal battle with Reynold’s wife Blake Lively, who claims that she was subjected to sexual harassment and a smear campaign when working on the film It Ends With Us, which Baldoni starred in and directed.
Details were first made public in a New York Times article and Baldoni subsequently sued the newspaper for libel and false-light invasion of privacy.
Subsequently, Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman sent a litigation hold letter to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Disney CEO Bob Iger on 7 January, demanding that any documents that mention Baldoni during the development of the “Nicepool” character be preserved.
According to Variety, the letter demands that Marvel and Disney retain “any and all documents relating to the development of the ‘Nicepool’ character” as well as “communications relating to the development, writing, and filming of storylines and scenes featuring ‘Nicepool.’”
Variety also reports that the studios are asked to preserve “all documents relating to or reflecting a deliberate attempt to mock, harass, ridicule, intimidate, or bully Baldoni through the character of ‘Nicepool.’”
Reynolds, who wrote, produced and starred in Deadpool and Wolverine, has never addressed whether there is a connection between Nicepool and Baldoni.
In the film, Deadpool and Wolverine are introduced to Nicepool, an overly sensitive version of the superhero with long hair, who makes several comments about Ladypool, played by Lively.
“Oh my goodness, wait until you see Ladypool. She is gorgeous,” a man bun-wearing Nicepool says of Lively’s mutant mercenary. “She just had a baby, too, you can’t even tell.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to say that,” Deadpool retorts. Nicepool responds: “That’s ok. I identify as a feminist.”
During a recent appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, Freedman said that “there is no question” Reynolds’ Marvel movie is making fun of his client.
“What Ryan Reynolds has seemingly done is use his power and influence to not only help Blake Lively take over [It Ends with Us] but he’s used it on Deadpool and to make fun of Justin Baldoni,” Freedman told host Megyn Kelly.
After playing a clip of Nicepool from the movie, Kelly asked Freedman, “What do you make of that?”
“What I make of that is that if your wife is sexually harassed, you don’t make fun of Justin Baldoni,” the lawyer replied. “You don’t make fun of the situation. You take it very seriously. File HR complaints. You raise the issue and follow a legal process.
“What you don’t do is mock the person and turn it into a joke. There’s no question it relates to Justin. I mean anybody that can watch that — the hair bun, the comment about the pregnancy — it’s pretty obvious what’s being done,” he argued.
The Independent has contacted Reynolds’s representative for comment.
