Justin Baldoni Takes Legal Aim At Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds Amid Heated Allegations
Hollywood is buzzing with drama as Justin Baldoni’s legal battle against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds takes center stage. The actor-director has launched a legal offensive against Blake, Ryan, and even Disney and Marvel Studios, alleging a pattern of harassment, retaliation, and professional sabotage.
Justin, known for directing It Ends With Us, claims Ryan’s portrayal of a minor character, Nicepool, in Deadpool & Wolverine was designed to mock him. The character, complete with a man bun and a feminist mantra, seems suspiciously similar to Justin’s public persona. Hence, Justin’s legal team has demanded that Disney and Marvel Studios preserve all communications about Nicepool, arguing that the character was created to ridicule him.
Nicepool, played by Ryan, drops lines like calling Blake’s character “gorgeous” while joking, “She just had a baby too and you can’t even tell.” Social media buzzed after a purported deleted scene surfaced, showing Nicepool saying his goal was to “start a podcast that monetizes the women’s movement”—a jab many interpret as referencing Justin’s podcast Man Enough, which delves into modern masculinity.
This legal saga intertwines with Blake’s own allegations. The actress and mother of four has sued Justin, accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliatory actions after she spoke up about misconduct. Blake alleges Justin criticized her body after her fourth child and engaged in inappropriate behavior on set, including entering her trailer uninvited while she was undressed.
Blake’s legal team has made it clear this isn’t a simple dispute or a ‘he said/she said’ situation.”
“As alleged in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and as we will prove in litigation, Wayfarer [Studios] and its associates engaged in unlawful, retaliatory astroturfing against Ms. Lively for simply trying to protect herself and others on a film set. And their response to the lawsuit has been to launch more attacks against Ms. Lively since her filing,” they said.
Meanwhile, Justin’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has defended his client fiercely, dismissing Blake’s claims as unfounded. Bryan also confirmed Justin is preparing to file additional lawsuits, having already sued The New York Times for $250 million over its coverage of the case.
The tension between Justin and Ryan has added fuel to the fire, as Justin alleges that the Deadpool actor pressured his agency, WME, to sever ties with him. WME has denied the claim, stating there was no influence from either Ryan or Blake.
Reynolds and Lively, one of Hollywood’s power couples, have presented a united front. Lively has praised her husband’s support and collaboration, even revealing that Reynolds contributed dialogue to her film It Ends With Us. “We help each other,” she shared on the red carpet. “His wins are mine, and mine are his.”
