In new developments, actress Blake Lively has moved a New York court to seek the removal of her ‘emotional distress’ claim against Justin Baldoni, Variety reported. The step comes as Baldoni’s legal team sought the release of Lively’s medical documents to validate the claim, which would require the actress being asked to sign a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) release.
Lively earlier alleged “severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration and mental anguish” against her It Ends with Us co-star and director.
“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,” the court document filed by Baldoni’s team stated. This means that Lively has the right to reintroduce the issue with evidence after the discovery window—the time to gather evidence—has closed, thereby blocking Baldoni’s attorney's access to her medical documents.
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Lively’s legal team, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, has labelled the filing “a press stunt”. “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,” they said to the outlet.
Back in March, Lively filed a motion in a New York federal court to dismiss Baldoni’s defamation suit, citing that the law protects individuals who have filed sexual harassment lawsuits. Lively's representatives accused Baldoni's team of using the countersuit—a response to her December 2024 lawsuit—as a "blunt public relations instrument designed to further the Wayfarer Parties' sinister campaign to 'bury' and 'destroy' Ms Lively for speaking out about sexual harassment and retaliation."
A court date has been set for the high-profile case on March 9, 2026. Preliminary hearings commenced earlier this year in February.
