In the clips from Deadpool & Wolverine, which was released July 26, the Nicepool character is portrayed as a faux feminist and also wears his hair in a man bun style—which many fans have concluded is akin to one of Baldoni’s signature looks.
What’s more, Lively encouraged her fans to support the film upon its release—despite her saying she should be “competitive” since it came out only two weeks before It Ends With Us. The 37-year-old—who shares kids James, 10, Inez, 8, Betty, 5, and Olin, born in 2023—explained in a July 22 Instagram post that Ryan’s film appealed to her “feelings post baby, or about Nice men who use feminism as a tool.”
Another hint that may point to Baldoni inspiring Nicepool? Although Reynolds played the character in the film, he is listed in the end credits as “Gordon Reynolds,” rather than his actual moniker. And during the end credits of the It Ends With Us movie, Lively includes “Gordon Reynolds” in her list of acknowledgements.
Since the initial complaint was filed, the legal battle between the costars has intensified. Lively went on to file a formal lawsuit against Baldoni, his company Wayfarer Studios and several associates in late December, while Baldoni and his associates sued the New York Times for defamation that same day, over the newspaper detailing Lively’s initial complaint as well as an alleged smear campaign Baldoni and others launched against her. The newspaper, in response, said in a statement that it plans to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”
However, the legal drama doesn’t end there as lawyers for Baldoni have also confirmed they plan to sue Lively. “The Plaintiffs are not done,” Baldoni and his associates’ lawsuit against the Times states. “There are other bad actors involved, and make no mistake—this will not be the last lawsuit.”
Since Lively’s initial complaint, her and Baldoni’s dispute continues to unfold in many layers. Keep reading to untangle its full timeline.