Blake Lively drops emotional distress claims against Justin Baldoni amid ongoing legal battle

Blake Lively has withdrawn two key claims of emotional distress against her It Ends with Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni, according to new court filings. The move comes as part of the ongoing, high-profile legal dispute between the two Hollywood figures, which began last December when Lively, 37, filed a sexual harassment complaint alleging misconduct on the set of the Colleen Hoover adaptation and subsequent retaliation by Baldoni.

On June 2, Lively requested to dismiss her claims of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress without prejudice—meaning she reserves the right to refile them in the future. The request followed a push from Baldoni’s legal team, who had asked the court to compel Lively to disclose medical and mental health records relevant to her claims.

In a letter to the court, Baldoni's attorney, Kevin Fritz, argued that Lively’s withdrawal was a way to avoid sharing sensitive information while keeping the option to pursue the claims later, stating, “Ms. Lively cannot have it both ways.”


Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, countered in a statement: “Once again, this is a routine part of the litigation process that is being used as a press stunt. We are doing what trial lawyers do: preparing our case for trial by streamlining and focusing it; they are doing what they do: desperately seeking another tired round of tabloid coverage.”

Despite dropping the emotional distress claims, Lively continues to allege emotional harm as part of broader claims in her lawsuit, including sexual harassment, retaliation, and demands for significant compensatory damages. Baldoni, 41, has denied all allegations and countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicists, alleging extortion and defamation seeking damages that could exceed $400 million.

Both sides are preparing for a trial scheduled for March 2026. In a previous statement, Lively said, “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”