Blake Lively emotional distress lawsuit update 2025 continues to capture public attention, as Lively has withdrawn her emotional distress claims against Justin Baldoni but is maintaining her sexual harassment lawsuit. The dispute between the two stars, first initiated in December 2024, remains active in the court system, with recent filings intensifying scrutiny on both sides.
Blake Lively Withdraws Emotional Distress Claims, Lawsuit Still Ongoing
Despite speculation, Blake Lively has not dropped the entire lawsuit against Justin Baldoni. She has only rescinded her claims of both intentional and negligent emotional distress, according to new court documents filed at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on June 2, 2025. The underlying allegations of sexual harassment that prompted the original filing remain in place.
This move follows Baldoni’s attorneys‘ recent legal tactic to access Lively’s medical records. Their efforts were aimed at countering her assertions of suffering from
“severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration and mental anguish.”
—Lively, Filing Excerpt. To this end, they pushed for a HIPAA release that would have enabled them to examine her therapy notes and other private information, thereby seeking evidence to refute her claims.
Legal Strategies Behind the Recent Filing
Instead of complying with the request for her health records, Lively’s lawyers, Mike Gottlieb and Ersa Hudson, alerted Baldoni’s team that she would drop the emotional distress claims. However, the lawyers also made it clear she would not agree to permanently withdraw the claims with prejudice, ensuring she could potentially pursue similar claims in the future. This preserves her right to:
- Retain key documents and decline to share personal details that may affect her emotional distress claims.
- Possibly re-file her intentional emotional distress claims at a later date.
Lively’s legal team characterized the latest filing from Baldoni’s attorneys as a press stunt, arguing that it was designed to manipulate public perception rather than address substantive legal issues. In their statement, attorneys Gottlieb and Hudson emphasized that their client was focused on clarifying and narrowing her case to its core matters, as cited by Variety.
Addressing media coverage, Gottlieb and Hudson further stated that Baldoni’s representatives were seeking
“another tired round of tabloid coverage.”
—Hudson & Gottlieb, Attorneys. This points to growing tension between the parties, with each side accusing the other of using the case as a public relations battleground rather than strictly following legal protocol.
Implications for the Lawsuit and What Lies Ahead
The fact that Blake Lively has maintained her primary lawsuit against Justin Baldoni signals that the judicial process is far from over. While the emotional distress element has been set aside for now, the core claims have not been resolved and could still result in future court battles or negotiations. With both legal teams actively defending their clients and making highly publicized statements, the intense and troubled tone of the proceedings shows no sign of abating. Eyes will remain on the Southern District court for further developments as the Blake Lively emotional distress lawsuit update 2025 unfolds in the coming months.
