Ryan Reynolds has reprised the role of Deadpool in his first post since his wife, fellow actor Blake Lively, filed a lawsuit accusing Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment.
Lively has been publicly supported by many Hollywood stars after she accused her It Ends With Us co-star and director of sexually harassing her during filming and of arranging a “smear campaign” against her in the run-up to the hit movie’s release earlier this year.
In Lively’s lawsuit, she claimed she was zoned out by the media in “a coordinated effort to destroy” her reputation”, noting that the “emotional impact” of the fallout on her was “extreme”.
The actor said the negative press also affected her husband, Deadpool actor Reynolds, whom she married in 2012, and their four children.
While Reynolds has not addressed the furore directly, he hinted at a difficult time in the post, which saw him appear in character as the Marvel antihero for a short clip that co-starred Wonder Woman actor Lynda Carter.
In the caption, he suggested that recent experiences had eaten away at him, calling it a time where he “really didn’t feel like putting the suit on”.
The video was made to raise awareness of his campaign with Lively on behalf of Sick Kids Hospital, a charity for children.
According to Reynolds, he and Lively will match donations of up to $500,000 that were made before Christmas Eve.
On Monday (23 December), he wrote: “It’s almost Christmas Eve. Last day to donate to @sickkids. @blakelively and I are matching any donation to $500k”
“This organisation is a sanctuary for so many kids and their parents traversing the unimaginable.”
Referring to the video, he said: “Thank you @rowlandbb for directing this amazing little piece during a time I really didn’t feel like putting the suit on,” and he also thanked Carter for her “time, grace and talent”.
Lively’s initial complaint against Baldoni, which was filed with the California Civil Rights Department and is the precursor to a lawsuit, is the culmination of months of speculation from fans and the media, after rumours of a rift between the pair overshadowed its promotion.
Legal documents seen by The Independent as well as an investigation by The New York Times accuse Baldoni and associates of a targeted effort to “destroy” the actor and drag her in the media, which Lively says has caused her “severe emotional distress”.
Lively filed a legal complaint on Friday in which she claimed that a meeting took place in early January to address the “hostile work environment that had almost derailed the film.” She accused Baldoni and lead producer Jamey Heath of “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior,” including unwanted improvised kissing from Baldoni.
According to the complaint, the actor had a number of requirements in order for her to continue work on the film, which included no more mention of Baldoni’s “pornography addiction” and no more showing nude videos or images of women to Lively and/or her employees.
Baldoni’s lawyer has called all claims against him “categorically false”.
