Blake Lively drops two claims against Justin Baldoni
3 min read
Blake Lively attempts to withdraw emotional distress claims in ongoing lawsuit against Justin Baldoni over 'It Ends With Us'.
Actress Blake Lively has moved to withdraw two key claims from her lawsuit against director Justin Baldoni, as the legal dispute between the two intensifies following their collaboration on the film It Ends With Us.
Lively, who filed the lawsuit in December 2024, originally accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, retaliation, and launching a smear campaign against her. As part of her original complaint, she also included claims of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, asserting that she had endured “severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, [and] embarrassment.”
However, according to new reports from Variety, Lively is now attempting to drop both emotional distress claims—a decision that could shift the direction of the ongoing litigation. The court must still determine whether it will allow her to withdraw those claims or compel her to hand over mental health records, including therapy notes, as requested by Baldoni’s legal team.
A Legal Tug-of-War
Documents filed by Baldoni’s attorneys on Monday revealed that Lively’s legal team had declined a request to withdraw the emotional distress claims “with prejudice,” meaning she could potentially refile them in the future. Baldoni’s team argued that she is attempting to avoid producing medical documentation that could be crucial to their defense.
“Instead of complying with the Medical RFPs [Request for Proposal], Ms. Lively’s counsel recently advised us, in writing, that Ms. Lively is withdrawing her [infliction of emotional distress] claims,” Baldoni’s attorneys stated in the court documents.
While Lively’s team confirmed that the two distress claims are being dropped, they characterized Baldoni’s filing as a “press stunt” and insisted that the decision was part of a larger legal strategy to streamline the case.
Still Seeking Damages
Despite withdrawing the emotional distress claims as standalone counts, Lively is not abandoning the core emotional distress narrative. Her lawyers clarified that emotional harm remains part of her broader claims, such as sexual harassment and retaliation.
“Ms. Lively continues to allege emotional distress, as part of numerous other claims in her lawsuit,” her attorneys told Variety. “These include sexual harassment and retaliation, and massive additional compensatory damages on all of her claims.”
Her legal team also argued that Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, have filed retaliatory counterclaims that expose them to new damages under California law, rendering some of Lively’s original allegations “no longer necessary.”
Baldoni’s Countersuit
In January 2025, Baldoni responded with a countersuit against both Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. The countersuit escalated the feud, which stems from the behind-the-scenes fallout of It Ends With Us, a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel.
Lively played the lead role of Lily Bloom, a woman struggling to break the cycle of domestic abuse, a theme that brought emotional intensity to the film. But what happened off-screen appears to have been just as turbulent.
Taylor Swift Dragged In—Briefly
Even Taylor Swift was briefly pulled into the legal fray. Last month, she was subpoenaed to testify after it was alleged she had encouraged Baldoni to accept script changes made by Lively. Swift’s team swiftly denied the claims, saying she had “no involvement in casting or creative decisions” and “never saw an edit or made any notes on the film.”
The subpoena was later dropped after Swift’s legal team called it an “unwarranted fishing expedition.”
What’s Next?
As the legal battle continues, the court will soon rule on whether Lively can formally drop the two emotional distress claims without being forced to release sensitive medical documents. The outcome may influence how the rest of the lawsuit—one already layered with personal, professional, and legal tensions—unfolds in the coming months.
About The Author
