Blake Lively has requested to withdraw two of the claims that she made about It Ends With Us director, Justin Baldoni.
Lively and Baldoni have been embroiled in a bitter feud since It Ends With Us, a book based on the Colleen Hoover book of the same name, was released in August 2024.
In December, following months of speculation, Lively launched legal proceedings against the director with claims stemming from the production of the film.
In the legal complaint, she made various allegations, but is now attempting to drop the claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The move comes after Baldoni’s legal team attempted to gain access to Lively’s medical records, reported Variety.
The outlet claimed that Baldoni’s lawyers are attempting to get the actor to sign a release to her therapy notes and other information relevant to her claim that she suffered ‘severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration and mental anguish.’
Judge Lewis Liman wrote this morning that Baldoni’s motion to compel Lively to release the notes was denied ‘because of ‘based on the Plaintiff’s representation that the relevant claims will be withdrawn.’
It was also added that Lively’s attempt to withdraw the claims without prejudice (meaning the claim could be refiled at a later date) has been denied. It has been ruled that Lively’s legal team can no longer present evidence of her alleged emotional distress claims.
Variety reported the judge commented: ‘The parties shall stipulate to whether the dismissal is with or without prejudice, or Lively shall renew her request by formal motion.
‘For avoidance of doubt, if the claims are not dismissed, the Court will preclude Lively from offering any evidence of emotional distress.’
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Documents from Baldoni’s team, revealed: ‘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.
The filing added that Lively is ‘only willing to withdraw her claims without prejudice,’ and ‘refused the Wayfarer Parties’ reasonable request that the withdrawal of such claims be with prejudice’
Lively’s lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, told Variety that Baldoni’s filing was ‘a press stunt’.
They added: ‘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.
‘Ms Lively continues to allege emotional distress, as part of numerous other claims in her lawsuit, such as sexual harassment and retaliation, and massive additional compensatory damages on all of her claims.’
Baldoni’s team counter-sued Lively’s team for civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy in January.
As the pair’s legal teams continue to exchange barbs, the most recent update in the legal battle was in May, as pop star Taylor Swift was pulled into the dispute.
Baldoni’s lawyer (Bryan Freedman) alleged in a letter that Lively’s lawyer threatened to leak private messages between the actress and Taylor if the singer did not release a statement supporting her. This letter was later struck from the docket.
It was also alleged that Swift encouraged Baldoni to accept script rewrites by Lively. Representatives for the singer also denied this claim, and the subpoena was dropped two weeks later.
Metro has reached out to Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively’s representatives for comment.
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