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On June 3, 2025, British journalist Piers Morgan took to X to share insights on Blake Lively attempting to withdraw her claims against It Ends With Us director and co-star Justin Baldoni. For the unversed, the Gossip Girl alum filed a lawsuit against Baldoni on December 20, 2024, for s*xual assault and plotting a smear campaign against her.
According to the BBC, on June 2, Blake Lively's attorneys requested to withdraw previous claims she made against Baldoni, including intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
This came after Justin Baldoni's team asked Lively to release her medical records, including her therapy notes, to help defend themselves against her accusations that the actor caused her "severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration, and mental anguish."
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Lively's attempt to withdraw the 10th and 11th causes of action against Baldoni came to light in a letter filed to Judge Lewis Liman on June 2.
In the letter, they also noted that they have urged Lively to sign a HIPAA release along with "an order compelling Blake Lively to identify her medical and mental health care providers," according to Variety.
In an X post accompanied by an article from Variety, Piers Morgan criticized Lively for attempting to withdraw her claims.
"Someone needs to intervene with Ms Lively and explain that this absurd saga is making her a global laughing stock, not an empathy-deserving victim."
More about Blake Lively's attempt to withdraw claims against Justin Baldoni
In a statement to People Magazine, published on June 3, Blake Lively's attorney, Esra Hudson, and Michael Gottlieb called their move to withdraw claims against Justin Baldoni a "press stunt."
"Once again, this is a routine part of the litigation process that is being used as a press stunt. We are doing what trial lawyers do: preparing our case for trial by streamlining and focusing it; they are doing what they do: desperately seeking another tired round of tabloid coverage."
They also stated that due to Justin Baldoni's "retaliatory legal claims" against Lively, the Wayfarer parties will now face "expansive new damages claims under California law."
"The Baldoni-Wayfarer strategy of filing retaliatory claims has exposed them to expansive new damages claims under California law, rendering certain of Ms. Lively’s original claims no longer necessary. Ms. Lively continues to allege emotional distress, as part of numerous other claims in her lawsuit, such as s*xual harassment and retaliation, and massive additional compensatory damages on all of her claims."
According to The Guardian, in the same legal letter filed on June 2, Justin Baldoni's team further alleged that Lively's team refused "to disclose the information and documents needed to disprove that she suffered any emotional distress," adding:
"(b) maintain the right to re-file her IED Claims at an unknown time in this or some other court after the discovery window has closed."
Later that day, the Another Simple Favor actress's team replied to Baldoni's team letter by calling it a "false and plainly improper public relations stunt," asking it to be taken down.
Her team also alleged that their step to withdraw the claims is in mutual agreement with Baldoni's team, adding Lively "voluntarily agreed to withdraw her infliction of emotional distress claims on Friday, May 30."
They further denied Baldoni's lawyers' claims that Lively refused to provide documents related to the two claims she dropped.
Subsequently, on June 3, Judge Lewis Liman stated that Blake Lively's emotional distress claims are withdrawn, and also denied Baldoni's request to force Lively to share her medical records "based on Plaintiff’s representation that the relevant claims will be withdrawn," according to Variety.
Judge Liman further noted that the court left it up to Baldoni and Lively's team to decide whether these claims are with or without prejudice, adding:
"For avoidance of doubt, if the claims are not dismissed, the Court will preclude Lively from offering any evidence of emotional distress."
The trial is scheduled for March 2026, following the ongoing legal conflict between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively.
