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In a calculated legal turn, Blake Lively has moved to drop two emotional distress claims against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni. The actress filed to withdraw allegations of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, a move her legal team framed as procedural rather than strategic retreat.
"We are doing what trial lawyers do: preparing our case for trial by streamlining and focusing it," said her attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb in a statement to People. They dismissed Baldoni's team's objections as "a press stunt" aimed at deflecting from broader accusations still active in the case.
The development comes after Baldoni's legal representatives requested access to Lively's therapy notes and medical records to challenge the legitimacy of her distress claims. In a letter to Judge Lewis J. Liman filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Baldoni's lawyer, Kevin Fritz, stated, "Ms. Lively cannot have it both ways... She must either disclose the records or accept dismissal with prejudice."
Instead of complying, Lively requested the claims be withdrawn without prejudice, leaving the door open to potentially refile. Baldoni's counsel has contested this, seeking to block future filings, calling the emotional distress accusations "frivolous" unless substantiated by concrete documentation.
Lively's broader lawsuit, filed in December 2024, remains intact. It includes claims of sexual harassment and retaliation stemming from the production of It Ends With Us, which grossed $351 million globally on a $25 million budget. In her original filing, Lively described the emotional toll as "extreme... affecting her, her husband, and their four children."
Baldoni has denied all allegations and countersued in January 2025. His claims target Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicists, alleging extortion and defamation. He is seeking $400 million in damages. "By alleging that she suffered physical and emotional injuries, Ms. Lively has placed her mental condition at issue," the defense wrote, arguing that HIPAA protections no longer apply under these circumstances.
The dispute, now branching into six related lawsuits, has become a legal spectacle. Baldoni is also embroiled in a separate defamation case involving his former publicist, adding further complexity.
A court ruling on whether Lively must disclose her records or have her claims dismissed with prejudice is pending. As the legal pressure mounts, both sides appear locked in a high-stakes pretrial chess match, with the trial set for March 2026.
