Blake Lively drops emotional distress charges against Justin Baldoni ¡ª but the battle is far from over

The courtroom drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni has taken a sharp turn, with Lively attempting to walk away from two of the most emotionally charged accusations in her explosive lawsuit. The It Ends With Us star is now seeking to withdraw her claims of both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, just as Baldoni¡¯s legal team ramped up efforts to access her mental health records.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends with Us | Credit: Netflix

Is Blake Lively suffering?

The move, revealed in a court filing submitted by Baldoni¡¯s attorneys on Monday, suggests a strategic pivot by Lively, who originally alleged she suffered ¡°severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration, and mental anguish¡± as a result of her experiences working with Baldoni.

Here¡¯s what Justin Baldoni¡¯s legal team revealed

Baldoni¡¯s legal team is refusing to let her bow out quietly. They insist that if she wishes to withdraw, it must be with prejudice, meaning the claims cannot be refiled in the future. Otherwise, they argue, Lively is attempting to sidestep the obligation to produce potentially damaging medical evidence, while keeping the door open to revive the claims down the line.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends with Us | Credit: Netflix

In a statement summarised from the legal filing, Baldoni's lawyers argued that Lively is trying to have her cake and eat it too, dodging disclosure while preserving litigation ammunition for another day.

Justin Baldoni¡¯s legal stunt

Lively¡¯s lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, fired back, accusing Baldoni¡¯s camp of orchestrating a legal stunt. They insist Lively is simply refocusing her lawsuit to reflect stronger claims, including allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation. According to her team, Baldoni¡¯s countersuit has opened new pathways for damages, making the distress claims redundant.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in It Ends with Us | Credit: Netflix

However, what remains undisputed is that these claims were central to Lively¡¯s original lawsuit filed last December. They formed part of a broader legal melee now involving six separate but related lawsuits. Baldoni is also suing Lively¡¯s husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, for $400 million, claiming defamation and extortion.

At the heart of this courtroom showdown is a critical question: will the judge compel Lively to reveal deeply personal therapy notes, or allow her to retreat without consequence? With emotions high and stakes higher, the legal spotlight is firmly fixed on what comes next in this tangled Hollywood battle.