Blake Lively Withdraws Claims Against Justin Baldoni in Ongoing Legal Battle

In a notable development in the legal confrontation between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, Lively has requested to withdraw two claims regarding emotional distress related to her allegations of sexual harassment against the director.

Actress Blake Lively has taken steps to withdraw two specific claims against director Justin Baldoni, who she previously sued in December 2024 following their collaboration in the film "It Ends With Us." Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a smear campaign. Recently, Baldoni’s legal team has sought access to her medical records, including therapy documents, as part of their defense against her claims of suffering “severe emotional distress" as a result of his actions.

According to reports from Variety, Lively is attempting to drop her claims of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress while continuing to pursue other allegations, including sexual harassment and retaliation. The court will now evaluate whether to dismiss these emotional distress claims or compel Lively to submit further unrelated mental health information.

Legal documents submitted by Baldoni's team have confirmed Lively's withdrawal. They noted: "Instead of complying with the Medical RFPs, Ms. Lively's counsel recently advised us... that Ms. Lively is withdrawing her infliction of emotional distress claims." However, Baldoni’s lawyers expressed their desire for the withdrawal to be “with prejudice” to prevent the claims from being refiled in the future.

Lively's attorneys characterized Baldoni’s motion as a “press stunt,” asserting that this move is an attempt to shift focus as her case undergoes streamlining. They maintained that Lively still alleges emotional distress as part of her lawsuit, which now includes substantial claims for compensatory damages against Baldoni.

Earlier this year, Baldoni had counter-sued Lively, along with her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. The fallout from their collaboration remains intense, especially since "It Ends With Us" is based on the best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover, where Lively portrayed Lily Bloom, a character with a complex relationship with domestic abuse.

Further complicating matters, pop star Taylor Swift was summoned to appear in court following allegations that she had prompted Baldoni to consider script rewrites proposed by Lively. Swift's representatives later clarified that she did not have any creative involvement and successfully contested the subpoena, which was dismissed a few weeks later.

As the legal saga continues, all eyes remain on the possible outcomes of Lively’s revisions to her lawsuit and Baldoni's counterclaims within this high-stakes celebrity dispute.