Actress Blake Lively has officially dropped her emotional distress claims against actor and producer Justin Baldoni, according to new court filings submitted on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Lively’s legal team moved to withdraw her claims of both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The decision follows a request by Baldoni’s attorney, Kevin Fritz, who had petitioned the court for an order compelling Lively to disclose her medical and mental health records.
Fritz’s letter asked Judge Lewis J. Liman to require Lively to sign a HIPAA release, granting access to therapy notes and other mental health documentation relevant to the claims.
In response, Lively opted to dismiss those specific claims rather than provide the requested medical records. Her filing argued that she should not be forced to release personal information, particularly while retaining the right to revisit the claims in the future.
“[Lively] refuses to disclose the information and documents needed to disprove that she suffered any emotional distress,” the filing read. It further accused her of attempting to “maintain the right to re-file her [infliction of emotional distress claims] at an unknown time in this or some other court after the discovery window has closed.”
“Ms. Lively cannot have it both ways,” her legal opponents contended. In a statement to People Magazine, Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, dismissed the latest developments as a routine legal maneuver being spun for media attention.
“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 lawyers stated.
Despite withdrawing the emotional distress claims, Lively is continuing her broader lawsuit against Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios. The case includes allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and demands for significant compensatory damages.
“The actress 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,” her legal team emphasized.
Baldoni, in turn, has countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicity team, alleging defamation and extortion. The high-profile case, Lively v. Wayfarer Studios et al., is currently scheduled to go to trial in March 2026.