Blake Lively drops emotional distress claim against Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively has dropped two claims alleging the infliction of emotional distress in her ongoing lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, her director and co-star in It Ends With Us.
The pair entered into a lengthy legal dispute in December last year, when Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and a smear campaign, which he denies.
However, following a request from Baldoni’s lawyers for Lively to release her medical notes to evidence the claim that she suffered “severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, [and] embarrassment,” the actor has attempted to drop the allegations of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress, according to Variety on June 2nd.
In a statement, Baldoni’s legal team said: “Instead of complying with the Medical RFPs [Request for Proposal], Ms Lively’s counsel recently advised us, in writing, that Ms Lively is withdrawing her [infliction of emotional distress] claims.”
In response, Lively’s lawyers claimed that Baldoni’s counter-charge of defamation and invasion of privacy against the actor and her husband Ryan Reynolds was a “press stunt,” and that they were “streamlining and focusing” her case.
The charges of emotional distress that Lively has attempted to drop could still form part of the case if a court decides that she must reveal her medical records, or else they may be dismissed.
Taylor Swift had been summoned to a court in the US in July after it was alleged that, due to her personal friendship with Lively, she had encouraged Baldoni to take on script rewrites from the actor in It Ends With Us.
However, this was later dropped after the singer’s team made clear that “she was not involved in any casting or creative decision” and “never saw an edit or made any notes on the film”, as well as the fact that her court appearance would result in an “unwarranted fishing expedition”.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.