Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni legal drama escalates over ’emotional distress’ claims
Blake Lively has officially been blocked from reviving her emotional distress claims against actor and director Justin Baldoni, following a key court ruling on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The legal dispute, connected to the upcoming film It Ends With Us, has taken yet another dramatic turn, marking a significant moment in the high-profile battle between the two stars.
On Friday, Lively had voluntarily agreed to drop her claim of emotional distress. Her legal team intended to “streamline” the lawsuit and requested to withdraw the claim without prejudice, a legal term that allows the claim to be brought back at a later time. But Baldoni and his legal team immediately objected, insisting the move be final. They argued that Lively was using this strategy to avoid turning over her private medical records, which could be crucial to disproving her emotional damage allegations.
On Tuesday, Judge Lewis Liman ruled in favor of Baldoni, stating that Lively’s claim for emotional distress could not be refiled at a later stage. The court document clearly said, “Lively’s motion is denied based on her representation that the relevant claims will be withdrawn.” With this, the judge closed the door on any future emotional distress claims tied to the same set of facts unless Baldoni himself agrees to let her reopen them — a highly unlikely scenario given the current legal tensions.
Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, issued a response shortly after the ruling. In their statement, they said that the actress will still pursue compensation for emotional damages through other legal paths in the lawsuit. These include allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation, which are still active parts of her case. The attorneys also accused Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer, of filing retaliatory claims that, in their words, “have exposed them to expansive damages under California law.”
The legal feud stems from events that reportedly occurred during the production of It Ends With Us, a film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel. Lively, who stars in the movie, has accused Baldoni of misconduct that caused emotional harm. However, as part of her emotional distress claim, she was expected to turn over medical records that could support her allegations. According to Baldoni’s legal team, her refusal to do so prevented them from defending against her accusations properly.
This refusal became a key point of contention. Baldoni’s lawyers argued that allowing her to refile the claim without giving up these records would create an unfair legal loophole. The judge appeared to agree, concluding that a clean withdrawal — with no opportunity to bring the claims back — was the only fair resolution.
This is not the first public flashpoint between the two camps. Last month, Baldoni’s team accused Lively’s lawyers of attempting to extort Taylor Swift, who is a close friend of Lively. That claim, however, was thrown out of court for being “potentially libelous.” The ongoing tensions have turned this lawsuit into a multi-layered legal drama involving celebrities, high-stakes reputations, and behind-the-scenes clashes in the entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, fans of It Ends With Us are left wondering how this behind-the-scenes legal battle might affect the film’s release. So far, neither Lively nor Baldoni has publicly commented on how the dispute could impact the movie’s marketing or future promotions.
As for Lively, this ruling doesn’t spell the end of her lawsuit, but it does limit one of the major claims she was hoping to pursue. She can still seek damages for emotional suffering under her remaining harassment and retaliation charges, but cannot submit a stand-alone claim for emotional distress without giving Baldoni the evidence his team says is necessary to ensure fairness.
Legal experts say that Tuesday’s decision puts more pressure on Lively’s side to focus on the strength of their remaining claims, especially if the case heads to trial. It also illustrates how critical access to personal evidence, like medical records, can be in lawsuits that involve emotional or psychological harm.
While the court battle is far from over, one thing is clear: the emotional distress chapter is closed — at least for now.
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