Marvel Has Been Removed From the Ongoing Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni Legal Battle
Months after the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni began, Marvel Entertainment has managed to withdraw from the proceedings.
As a quick recap, Lively and Baldoni starred in 2024’s It Ends With Us. After a very public back-and-forth, Lively filed a lawsuit against her costar, accusing him of sexual harassment.
In the suit, the actress accused Baldoni, who also directed It Ends With Us, of unapproved physical intimacy during the film, unauthorized changes to the script involving nudity, and other inappropriate behavior. According to Lively, after she raised concerns about his on-set behavior, Baldoni and his team orchestrated a retaliatory smear campaign to ruin her reputation.
Photo: Pure Wow
After The New York Times shared Lively’s story, Baldoni filed a libel lawsuit. He also filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively, alleging defamation.
That brings us to the Marvel component of the suit.
Marvel and Nicepool
As you likely know, Ryan Reynolds is married to Blake Lively.
Following the release of 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine, fans were quick to note that Ryan Reynolds’s Nicepool character (complete with his man bun) seemed like a veiled reference to Baldoni.
Photo: Marvel
As part of the ongoing battle between Lively and Baldoni, the latter’s legal team requested access to all communications regarding Nicepool, characterizing the character as an attempt to “bully” Baldoni.
Baldoni’s Defamation Suit Was Dismissed
Earlier this week, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s countersuit.
“The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged,” Judge Liman wrote in the opinion and order filing viewed by PEOPLE.
Photo: Miriam-Webster
“The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign. But the Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Reynolds, Sloane or the Times would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them, as is required for them to be liable for defamation under applicable law.”
Marvel Has Been Removed From the Suit
In the aftermath of the ruling, Marvel has now been removed from the case.
“The information sought [from Marvel] is no longer relevant to a claim or defense in this action,” Liman wrote.
Photo: Marvel
So, while the battle between Lively and Baldoni will rage on, it will do so without Marvel.
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