Blake Lively Can’t Pursue Emotional Distress Claim Against Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni has taken a sharp turn, as a federal judge has now ruled that she cannot move forward with her emotional distress claims. The decision follows a back-and-forth between both parties over Lively’s refusal to release medical records.

Blake Lively’s emotional distress claim dropped

Blake Lively’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni took a significant turn when a federal judge ruled that her emotional distress claims cannot proceed and barred her from presenting related evidence at trial.

On Tuesday, Judge Lewis Liman ruled that her claims related to emotional distress would not move forward, after Lively’s attorneys indicated they would be dropping them. The decision came in response to a motion from Baldoni’s legal team, who had pushed the court to compel Lively to release private medical records, including therapy notes.

Judge Lewis Liman denied the motion to compel those records, citing Lively’s intent to withdraw the related claims. He wrote, “The motion to compel … is denied based on Plaintiff’s representation that the relevant claims will be withdrawn.” However, the judge also made it clear that if the claims aren’t formally dismissed, Lively won’t be allowed to submit any evidence related to emotional distress.

The judge also addressed Blake Lively’s attempt to have her claims dismissed without prejudice, saying, “Lively’s request that ‘because the parties have agreed to dismiss Ms. Lively’s tenth and eleventh causes of action…the Court exercise its inherent authority and authority under Rule 15 to dismiss them without prejudice’ is denied without prejudice to renewal.” He further instructed both parties to either jointly “stipulate to whether dismissal is with or without prejudice,” or have Lively submit a formal motion. 

Although Justin Baldoni’s lawyers did not respond to the ruling, Lively’s attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, issued a pointed statement. They called Baldoni’s motion “utterly pointless.” They added that while the standalone emotional distress claims are being withdrawn, Lively still plans to seek emotional distress damages through other claims in the lawsuit, such as sexual harassment and retaliation. (via Variety)