Blake Lively has moved to withdraw key emotional distress claims in her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni, according to new court filings dated June 2 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The filing came shortly after Baldoni's legal team sought access to Lively's mental health records, arguing they were essential to disproving her claims of psychological harm.
The dispute stems from Lively's December 2024 lawsuit, in which she accused Baldoni-her co-star and director in It Ends With Us-of sexual harassment and retaliation. In response, Baldoni filed a $400 million countersuit for defamation and extortion, asserting that Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, engaged in a coordinated campaign to damage his reputation.
In a letter to Judge Lewis J. Liman, Baldoni's attorney Kevin Fritz stated that Lively "refuses to disclose the information and documents needed to disprove that she suffered any emotional distress" and that withdrawing the claims "without prejudice" would allow her to refile them after the discovery window has closed. "Ms. Lively cannot have it both ways," the filing said.
Lively's attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, responded by framing the move as a legal strategy rather than retreat. "Once again, this is a routine part of the litigation process that is being used as a press stunt," they said. "We are doing what trial lawyers do: preparing our case for trial by streamlining and focusing it; they are doing what they do: desperately seeking another tired round of tabloid coverage."
Hudson and Gottlieb added that Lively still alleges emotional distress as part of broader claims in her lawsuit, which includes allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and demands for compensatory damages. The trial is scheduled for March 2026.
In her original complaint, Lively accused Baldoni of multiple inappropriate behaviors, including entering her makeup trailer uninvited while she was breastfeeding, discussing a former pornography addiction, referencing non-consensual sexual encounters, and urging her to share personal sexual details. She said the alleged conduct inflicted "extreme" emotional harm not only on her but also on her husband and four children.
Baldoni has categorically denied the claims, calling them "false, malicious, and defamatory." His countersuit argues that Lively's allegations were used to gain influence over the film's creative direction and retaliate when demands were not met.
The legal fight escalated in February when Baldoni subpoenaed pop star Taylor Swift, alleging that Lively threatened to release personal text messages if Swift didn't publicly support her. Lively's legal team denied the claim, and the subpoena was later dropped. However, a source told Us Weekly that the incident strained the longtime friendship between Lively and Swift, saying, "There's been radio silence between Taylor and Blake since the subpoena was dropped."
