Justin Baldoni’s team claims Blake Lively is seeking to remove her emotional distress claims against the It Ends With Us director amid their ongoing legal battle.
According to a letter to Judge Lewis J. Liman obtained by Variety on Monday, June 2, Lively, 37, is attempting to withdraw claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress against Baldoni. The decision came after Baldoni’s legal team sought Lively’s medical records as part of discovery.
“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 team stated in the filing. “However, Ms. Lively has refused the Wayfarer Parties’ reasonable request that the withdrawal of such claims be with prejudice. She is only willing to withdraw her claims without prejudice. In other words, Ms. Lively wants to simultaneously: (a) 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 (b) maintain the right to re-file her IED Claims at an unknown time in this or some other court after the discovery window has closed.”
Per Variety, Baldoni’s lawyers want Lively to sign a HIPAA release for access to therapy notes and other relevant information.
“By alleging that she suffered physical and emotional injuries, Ms. Lively has placed her physical and mental condition at issue and, in turn, must produce relevant information and documents [including] psychiatric records,” the filing stated. “In other words, Ms. Lively has waived any doctor-patient privilege.”
Lively’s lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, however, denied Baldoni’s team’s claims in a statement to Us Weekly.
“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,” the statement read. “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.”
Us has reached out to Baldoni for comment.
Lively and Baldoni’s legal issues began in December 2024. Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing her It Ends With Us director and costar of sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment and orchestrating an alleged smear campaign against her.
Baldoni has denied the allegations. He subsequently filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicist Leslie Sloane, accusing them of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and more. They have denied the claims and requested for the lawsuit to be dismissed.
