Blake Lively drops two claims against Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively, a well-known actress, co-starred with director Justin Baldoni in the film It Ends With Us, which was released last summer. Since then, the two have been involved in a legal dispute that began when Blake Lively sued Justin Baldoni in December 2024. The lawsuit included several claims, but recently, Blake Lively has attempted to withdraw two of these claims related to emotional distress. Specifically, she is trying to drop the claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress. These claims were part of her argument that she suffered severe emotional pain, humiliation, and embarrassment due to actions by Baldoni. Justin Baldoni's legal team requested access to Blake Lively's medical records, including therapy notes, to defend against these claims. The court will now decide whether to dismiss these claims or require Blake to provide more information about her mental health. Documents filed by Baldoni's lawyers revealed that Blake Lively's legal team informed them in writing about the withdrawal of these claims. However, Baldoni's team noted that the withdrawal was not with prejudice, meaning Blake could potentially refile the claims in the future. Blake Lively's lawyers responded by calling Baldoni's announcement a press stunt and explained that they are streamlining and focusing their case. They also mentioned that Baldoni's team had filed retaliatory claims, which exposed them to new damages claims under California law, making some of Blake's original claims unnecessary. Despite dropping these two claims, Blake Lively continues to allege emotional distress as part of other claims in her lawsuit, including sexual harassment and retaliation, and is seeking significant compensatory damages. The dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni began after their work on It Ends With Us, a film adaptation of a best-selling novel by Colleen Hoover. In the movie, Blake plays Lily Bloom, a young woman who grew up witnessing domestic abuse and later finds herself in a similar situation. The legal battle has attracted public attention, especially since Blake Lively was seen at a red carpet event with her husband Ryan Reynolds and co-star Brandon Sklenar, but without Justin Baldoni. Earlier this year, Ryan Reynolds also faced legal issues involving claims of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. Additionally, there were rumors involving singer Taylor Swift encouraging Baldoni to accept script changes suggested by Lively, but Swift's representatives denied any involvement in casting or creative decisions. The legal proceedings continue, with the court expected to make further rulings on the case.