Fired X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Slams Marvel Studios' "Toxic Environment" and "Criminal Working Conditions"

After the creator of X-Men ‘97, Beau DeMayo alleged that Marvel Studios and Disney “stripped” him of his Season 2 credits over a “gay pride” fan art that he shared on Instagram, Marvel fired back at 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 severed ties with him immediately and he has no further affiliation with Marvel.”

DeMayo is now taking shots at Marvel claiming that “These allegations of egregious misconduct are false.” he also called out Marvel over its alleged “toxic environment” and “near criminal working conditions” that “turns individuals against one another, stokes paranoia to ensure compliance.”

It was reported that DeMayo was fired for alleging sending “photos of himself in various states of undress” to several young staff members.

These photos are said to have shown DeMayo “wearing superhero costumes and striking sexually suggestive ‘hero’ poses that could be used as ‘inspiration’ for the show.” It was also said that DeMayo allegedly groped an assistant and was both emotionally and physically abusive to staff members.

In regards to this, DeMayo shared on his OnlyFans subscription social platform: “The rumors being spread around me online are lies, and they are offensive, but more concerning is that they’re a smear campaign designed to discredit my credibility in order to cover up the egregious prejudicial misconduct stretching from select crew members on X-Men ’97, all the way all the way to the top at Marvel Studios.”

He went on to admit that “personality conflicts happen, especially in creative environments like Hollywood” and said the real issue for being fired by Marvel was “being gay, Black and open about it at Marvel Studios.”

He said: “In the end, the offenses Marvel and others have leaked are designed to distract you from what really offended them. Someone like me dared to speak truth to people like them. They wanted me to be the Black stamp of approval on this project, I declined.

“They wanted to erase aspects of my personality that clashed or proved inconvenient with the misguided narratives they wanted to establish. I declined. They tried to intimidate me with both explicit and implied threats.

“I was not intimidated. Everything they have done since then has been designed not just to silence me and smear me, but to crush me and to remind me to know my role.”

DeMayo also said: “I have the receipts and the eyewitnesses so long as you stop coercing them to lie, you can keep attacking me with lies and misinformation, but we can become the ugliest, most annoying version of that of that … or you can start acting like a studio that is worthy of a show like X Men ‘97.”

DeMayo’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, has filed an expedited jury trial seeking complaint in LA Superior Court to have an allegedly “illegal non-disparagement provision” removed from the writer’s exit package documents.

That filing makes some pretty harsh claims against defendant Marvel Amination Studios for trying to shove DeMayo out and keep him quiet.

The filing says: “DeMayo, who intends to detail his prior employment with Marvel via OnlyFans, bore witness to and endured rampant discriminatory and harassing conduct during his years-long tenure with the Company.

“Well aware that DeMayo possessed copious knowledge regarding Marvel’s illicit and unsafe employment practices, the Company sought to silence DeMayo as part of his forced ouster.”

“Backed by an army of well-versed employment attorneys, Marvel knowingly incorporated an illegal non-disparagement provision designed to muzzle an openly gay Black man and restrict his statutory rights.

“And, in fact, Marvel invoked this unenforceable provision to justify its nefarious removal of DeMayo’s credits on the acclaimed series X-Men ‘97.”

Freedman went on to say: “There are only two possible explanations for why Marvel and Disney had Beau sign an NDA that so obviously violated basic California law.

“Either incredulously Marvel and Disney’s hundreds of lawyers who advise over 250,000 employees all just happened to make a mistake or Marvel knowingly and intentionally attempted to silence Beau so they could have total control as to why he was no longer at Marvel, why he had his credits removed on season 2 and why he was uninvited to attend the very award show that nominated his hard work for an Emmy.

“Violating Beau’s statutory California rights will cost Marvel this case but more importantly, Marvel can no longer stop the truth from coming out.”

This whole thing is just getting uglier and uglier.

Source: Deadline