Blake Lively pulling 'emotional distress' claims from Justin Baldoni lawsuit
Blake Lively is set to drop claims of emotional distress from her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni.
In December, the actress sued co-star Baldoni for alleged sexual harassment on the set of the drama It Ends with Us, which he also directed. Lively also claimed the 41-year-old orchestrated a smear campaign against her around the film's release in August 2024.
Baldoni, who has denied the allegations, filed a countersuit for alleged defamation and civil extortion against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others.
On Monday, editors at Variety reported Lively, 37, is seeking to withdraw her claims of "intentional infliction of emotional distress" and "negligent infliction of emotional distress" from her lawsuit.
The update comes after Baldoni's lawyers noted in a filing that they had asked the former Gossip Girl star to sign a form giving them access to her therapy notes and medical records as part of discovery.
"In other words, Ms. Lively wants to simultaneously: (a) refuse to disclose the information and documents needed to disprove that she suffered any emotional distress and/or that the Wayfarer Parties were the cause; and (b) maintain the right to re-file her IED Claims at an unknown time in this or some other court after the discovery window has closed," his lawyers wrote in court documents, according to the outlet. "By alleging that she suffered physical and emotional injuries, Ms. Lively has placed her physical and mental condition at issue and, in turn, must produce relevant information and documents (including) psychiatric records. In other words, Ms. Lively has waived any doctor-patient privilege."
Representatives for Baldoni have not yet commented further.
But responding to the news, Lively's lawyers insisted they were simply "streamlining and focusing" her case.
"The Baldoni-Wayfarer strategy of filing retaliatory claims has exposed them to expansive new damages claims under California law, rendering certain of Ms. Lively's original claims no longer necessary," they said in a statement to Us Weekly, referring to Baldoni's Wayfarer Studios production company. "Ms. Lively continues to allege emotional distress, as part of numerous other claims in her lawsuit, such as sexual harassment and retaliation, and massive additional compensatory damages on all of her claims."
The trial is slated to begin in March 2026.
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