Blake Lively makes a shocking move in her legal battle against Justin Baldoni, seeks to drop emotional distress claim
Actor Blake Lively is seeking to drop her claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress against Justin Baldoni. According to Variety, in the latest update in her ongoing court battle with her It Ends with Us director-costar over their behind-the-scenes conflict, Blake, 37, made the request to withdraw and dismiss her claims on June 2. Also read: Amidst the ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni, Taylor Swift wishes she was never friends with Blake Lively: Report
The move comes after Justin's legal team sought discovery that included her medical records in their efforts to defend the It Ends With Us director against her claim. Blake has claimed that she suffered 'severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration and mental anguish'.
Justin's attorneys are now seeking to compel the actor to sign a HIPAA release for access to therapy notes and other relevant information.
'Instead of complying with the Medical RFPs, Ms. Lively's counsel recently advised us, in writing, that Ms. Lively is withdrawing her [infliction of emotional distress] Claims,' read the filing.
The document stated that 'instead of complying', Blake requested to withdraw claims of emotional distress without prejudice. Doing so means that Blake is refusing 'to disclose the information and documents needed to disprove that she suffered any emotional distress' and seeks to 'maintain the right to re-file her (infliction of emotional distress claims) at an unknown time in this or some other court after the discovery window has closed… Ms. Lively cannot have it both ways'.
Blake's lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, called the filing 'a press stunt' and noted that they are merely 'streamlining and focusing' her case. The court will now need to decide whether to compel Blake to share the information on her mental health, which she has sought to avoid, or dismiss the two claims with or without prejudice.
The conflict began in December last year, when Blake filed a sexual-harassment complaint against Justin, alleging misconduct on the Colleen Hoover adaptation's set and a retaliatory smear campaign, which he has denied. Justin countersued Blake, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicists in January, alleging extortion, defamation and more. Both cases in Lively v. Wayfarer Studios et al. are scheduled for trial in March 2026.
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