Blake Lively has attempted to retract two of the claims made against director Justin Baldoni as their legal battle continues. The actress filed a lawsuit in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and engaging in a smear campaign following their collaboration on the film "It Ends With Us," which premiered last summer.
As part of Baldoni's defense, his legal team requested Lively to provide her medical records, including therapy notes, to support his claim that her accusations of severe emotional distress were unfounded. Lively has now opted to drop her claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
Court documents indicate Baldoni's legal team acknowledged the withdrawal, although they specified that Lively did not agree to dismiss these claims with prejudice, which would prevent them from being filed again. Lively's attorneys responded by branding Baldoni's actions as a "press stunt," asserting that they are merely refining their case amidst ongoing litigation. They emphasized that Lively still alleges emotional distress as part of several other claims that include sexual harassment and retaliation.
Their conflict began during production of "It Ends With Us," which is based on Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel, where Lively portrays a character who experiences domestic abuse. In a surprising twist, Baldoni filed a counter-lawsuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
Adding another layer to this legal saga, singer Taylor Swift was briefly drawn into the case after it was claimed that she encouraged Baldoni to accept rewrites suggested by Lively. Swift's legal representatives quickly refuted the allegations, claiming she had no part in casting decisions or script alterations. The subpoena related to this was eventually retracted after Swift's team argued it was an unwarranted intrusion.
As both Lively and Baldoni continue to navigate their contentious legal landscape, the outcome remains uncertain amidst extensive public interest and media scrutiny surrounding their high-profile case.
