Blake Lively has decided to drop the emotional distress claim she filed against Justin Baldoni. The actress initially sued the 'It Ends With Us' director in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment on set.
Lively also claimed Baldoni orchestrated a defamation campaign against her following the film's release in August. Baldoni denied the accusations and filed counterclaims for defamation and extortion against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and others.
Variety reported on June 2nd that Lively intends to withdraw her claims for "intentional infliction of emotional distress" and "negligent infliction of emotional distress." This decision comes after Baldoni's lawyers requested access to Lively's therapy notes and medical records as part of their trial preparations.
Baldoni's lawyers argued that Lively was refusing to provide necessary information to prove her emotional distress. They stated that by claiming physical and emotional injuries, Lively had put her mental state into question and waived her doctor-patient privilege. Lively's lawyers explained that they were simply "rationalizing and targeting" the case.
They stated that Baldoni's retaliatory claims exposed him to further damages under California law, rendering some of Lively's initial claims unnecessary. Lively continues to claim emotional distress as part of other claims in her lawsuit, such as sexual harassment and retaliation.
The trial between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is currently scheduled to begin in March 2026.