Blake Lively is reportedly seeking to withdraw two specific claims — intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress — against Justin Baldoni, her It Ends With Us co-star and director.
According to a letter submitted to Judge Lewis J. Liman and obtained by Variety on June 2, Lively’s legal team initiated this move after Baldoni’s attorneys requested access to her medical records as part of the discovery process.
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“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,” Baldoni’s legal team noted in a court filing.
However, Lively is reportedly seeking to dismiss the claims without prejudice, meaning she reserves the right to reintroduce them at a later time. Baldoni’s team expressed concern over this, arguing that Lively wants to avoid sharing critical documents — including therapy notes and medical records — while keeping the option open to revive the claims after discovery has closed.
“Ms. Lively wants to simultaneously 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 maintain the right to re-file her IED Claims,” the filing stated.
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As a result, Baldoni’s attorneys are pushing for a HIPAA release to gain access to records they claim are necessary to evaluate her emotional distress allegations. They argue that by citing emotional and physical harm, Lively has effectively waived doctor-patient privilege.
In response, Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, dismissed the filing as a media stunt, stating, “Once again, this is a routine part of the litigation process that is being used as a press stunt. 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.”
They also explained that some original claims are being adjusted in response to Baldoni’s alleged retaliatory legal tactics. “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,” the statement continued.
Despite withdrawing the standalone emotional distress claims, Lively still alleges emotional harm as part of broader accusations, including sexual harassment, retaliation, and other misconduct — for which she is seeking substantial compensatory damages.
The legal dispute began in December 2024, when Lively filed a lawsuit accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment, fostering a hostile work environment, and engineering a smear campaign against her. Baldoni has denied all allegations and responded with a $400 million countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and her publicist Leslie Sloane, accusing them of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. The trio has denied those claims and filed to have the lawsuit dismissed.