Why Did Blake Lively Drop Charges in Her Lawsuit Against Justin Baldoni?

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One of the most talked-about legal disputes recently has been between Blake Lively and her co-star in It Ends With Us, Jason Baldoni. Lively has now dropped two of the charges against him—specifically, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress. This move comes after Baldoni’s legal team requested access to Lively’s mental health records.

Kevin Fritz, Baldoni’s attorney, called the development a small win, interpreting it as Lively’s refusal to hand over those documents. However, Lively’s lawyers have strongly denied that claim. In a statement to People magazine, attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb explained that this is simply part of the legal process.

“Ms. Lively did so in good faith to streamline the dispute in the ordinary litigation process given the damages she otherwise anticipates recovering”. They also alleged that Lively is refusing to ‘disclose the information and documents needed to disprove that she suffered any emotional distress’.

They also criticized Baldoni’s legal team, accusing them of ‘desperately chasing another round of sensational press.’ Looking ahead to the trial, scheduled for 2026, Lively continues to assert that she suffered emotional harm—an allegation still included in other parts of the lawsuit, such as the claim of sexual harassment.

How It All Started

Everything began in December 2024. Just weeks earlier, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni had proudly attended the premieres of It Ends With Us. The film they starred in and he directed. But during the film’s promotional tour, things took a turn. Members of the press, online critics, and even a few of Lively’s former co-stars began targeting her—calling her vain and bringing up uncomfortable stories from the past.

Then, in a move that surprised many, Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and of trying to damage her reputation. In response, Baldoni hit back with a countersuit, not just against Lively, but also against her husband, Ryan Reynolds. He’s seeking $400 million for extortion, defamation, invasion of privacy, and other alleged breaches of contract.

Lively, for her part, maintains that Baldoni behaved inappropriately toward her during and after filming—behavior that caused her what she describes as “severe emotional distress,” also impacting her family. Speaking to The New York Times at the time, she said: “I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.”