After the creator of X-Men ’97, Handsome DeMayo claimed that Marvel Studios and Disney “stripped” him of season 2 credits because of “gay pride” fan art he shared on Instagram, Marvel responded to him and offered insight into why he was fired.
Marvel shared in a previous statement: “Mr. DeMayo was terminated in March 2024 following an internal investigation. Given the egregious nature of the findings, we immediately severed ties with him and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”
DeMayo is now attacking Marvel, saying, “These allegations of gross misconduct are false.” He also called out Marvel for its alleged “toxic environment” and “near-criminal working conditions” that “pit individuals against each other, fueling paranoia to ensure compliance.”
DeMayo was reportedly fired for allegedly sending “photos of himself in various states of undress” to several junior staffers.
These photos were said to show DeMayo “wearing superhero costumes and striking sexually suggestive ‘hero’ poses that could be used as ‘inspiration’ for the show.” DeMayo was also said to have molested an assistant and to have been both emotionally and physically abusive toward staff members.
In this regard, DeMayo shared on his social media platform OnlyFans: “The rumors circulating online about me are lies and they are offensive, but most troubling is that they are a smear campaign designed to discredit my credibility and cover up serious detrimental conduct that has extended from certain members of the X-Men ’97 crew all the way up to the top of Marvel Studios.”
He went on to admit that “personality conflicts happen, especially in creative environments like Hollywood” and said that the real issue for being fired from Marvel was “being gay, black, and open about it at Marvel Studios.”
He said: “Ultimately, the offenses that Marvel and others have leaked are designed to distract you from what really offended them. Someone like me dared to tell the truth to people like them. They wanted me to be the black stamp of approval on this project, I refused.
“They wanted to erase aspects of my personality that clashed or were inconvenient to the misleading narratives they wanted to establish. I refused. They tried to intimidate me with explicit and implicit threats.
“I was not intimidated. Everything they have done since then has been designed not only to silence and smear me, but to crush me and remind me to know my role.”
DeMayo also said, “I have the receipts and the eyewitnesses, so as long as you stop forcing them to lie, you can continue to attack me with lies and misinformation, but we can become the ugliest, most annoying version of all of that… or you can start acting like a studio worthy of a show like X Men ’97.”
DeMayo’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has initiated an expedited jury trial seeking a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking to have an alleged “unlawful non-disparagement clause” removed from the writer’s release documents.
In this act, some rather harsh accusations are made against the defendant Marvel Amination Studios for having attempted to oust DeMayo and keep him at bay.
The filing reads: “DeMayo, who intends to detail his previous employment with Marvel via OnlyFans, witnessed and endured rampant discriminatory and harassing conduct throughout his years at the Company.
“Full aware that DeMayo possessed extensive knowledge of Marvel’s unlawful and dangerous employment practices, the Company sought to silence DeMayo as part of his forced ouster.”
“Backed by an army of experienced employment lawyers, Marvel knowingly incorporated an illegal non-disparagement provision designed to silence an openly gay black man and limit his legal rights.
“And, in fact, Marvel invoked this unenforceable provision to justify its nefarious removal of DeMayo’s credits in the acclaimed series X-Men ’97.”
Freedman continued, “There are only two possible explanations as to why Marvel and Disney made Beau sign an NDA that so flagrantly violated fundamental California laws.
“Either the hundreds of Marvel and Disney lawyers advising over 250,000 employees made a mistake, or Marvel knowingly and intentionally attempted to silence Beau so they could have complete control over why he was no longer at Marvel, why his credits were removed in Season 2, and why he was not invited to attend the very awards ceremony that nominated his hard work for an Emmy.
“Violating Beau’s legal rights in California will cost Marvel this case, but more importantly, Marvel can no longer prevent the truth from coming out.”
This whole situation is getting uglier and uglier.
Source: Deadline
by Joey Fear
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
