Justin Baldoni is in the middle of a legal battle involving his It Ends with Us co-star Blake Lively, who’s suing him for s*xual harassment, claiming it caused her emotional distress.
In a surprising turn, Justin’s legal team is now accusing Ryan Reynolds’s character, Nicepool, from Deadpool & Wolverine, of mocking him.
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They’ve sent a letter to Disney and Marvel asking them to preserve any documents related to the character’s development, particularly anything showing Nicepool was created to harass or ridicule Justin. Let’s break down the story.
Justin Baldoni is in a legal battle with Blake Lively
Justin Baldoni’s name has been in the news lately because of the legal dispute with Blake Lively.
She’s suing him, claiming he sexually harassed her, which she says caused her emotional distress. The case has gotten a lot of attention.
Ryan Reynolds is involved through his character in Deadpool & Wolverine
Ryan Reynolds, Blake’s husband, plays Deadpool in Deadpool & Wolverine. Not only is he the star, but he also has credits as a writer and producer on the movie. So, his involvement in all this is no small matter.
Justin’s legal team targets Disney and Marvel
Justin’s legal team has been busy. They sent a letter to Disney asking them to save any documents related to the development of the character Nicepool.
The letter wants to make sure there’s a record of everything about the character, especially anything that could show they were trying to mock or harass Justin.
Justin’s legal team believes Nicepool is based on him
The letter from Justin’s legal team suggests they think Nicepool might have been inspired by Justin — but not in a flattering way.
It’s a theory that’s gotten some attention online, and it seems like Justin’s team is serious about looking into it.
Nicepool makes controversial remarks in Deadpool & Wolverine
In Deadpool & Wolverine, when Nicepool first shows up, he makes a comment about Ladypool’s postpartum body, saying, “Did you see Ladypool? She is gorgeous. She just had a baby too, and you can’t even tell.”
Then, when Deadpool calls him out for it, Nicepool responds, “That’s okay, I identify as a feminist.” That line has definitely raised some eyebrows.
Blake’s lawsuit ties in with the comments made about Justin
Blake Lively’s lawsuit actually ties into some of these issues. She’s accused Justin of making s*xual comments about her body after she had a baby.
She also claims he improvised some sexual moments while filming, without an intimacy coordinator, which is something she points out in the lawsuit.
Justin denies the allegations against him
Justin’s side of the story is a little different. His legal team has argued that Blake’s accusations are misleading and taken out of context. Justin himself has denied any wrongdoing when it comes to the claims of sexual harassment.
A deleted scene from Deadpool & Wolverine raises more questions
There’s also a deleted scene in Deadpool & Wolverine where Nicepool says, “I’d be fighting alongside you, but my calling is to one day start a podcast that monetizes the women’s movement.”
Some people think this line could be a dig at Justin’s podcast, The Man Enough. It definitely raised some questions when it didn’t make it into the final cut.
Nicepool’s appearance is compared to Justin
Nicepool’s look, especially his man bun, has been pointed out as looking a lot like Justin. After all, it’s hard to ignore the similarities. Justin’s lawyer even made a comment, saying that there’s no doubt it’s a reference to him.
Blake comments on Nicepool and feminism
Blake Lively made a comment on Instagram about both It Ends with Us and Deadpool & Wolverine being about “Nice men who use feminism as a tool.”
She also thanked “Gordon Reynolds” in the credits of It Ends with Us, which is likely a reference to Ryan Reynolds and his character Nicepool in the movie.
Looks like things are heating up between Justin Baldoni and Ryan Reynolds — we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out. Stay tuned for any updates, and we’ll keep you posted!
