Court Rules Against Blake Lively in Emotional Distress Battle with Justin Baldoni

June 4, 2025: A federal judge in the Southern District of New York has ruled against Blake Lively’s request to dismiss her emotional distress claims in the ongoing lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios. The decision means Lively must either formally move to dismiss the claims with Baldoni’s agreement or continue to face restrictions on presenting emotional distress evidence in court.

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Judge Lewis J. Liman clarified that if the emotional distress claims are not dismissed, Lively will be barred from introducing any evidence related to emotional distress at trial. This ruling comes as the case heads toward a trial scheduled for March 9, 2026.

Lively’s legal team expressed disappointment but confirmed that she is still pursuing emotional distress damages through other allegations, including sexual harassment and retaliation. They also accused Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios of retaliatory tactics that could have serious legal consequences.

The lawsuit stems from allegations related to the production of the film It Ends with Us, with Lively accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation. Baldoni responded with a defamation and extortion suit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their PR team.

Despite high-profile names and complex legal maneuvers, sources indicate that a settlement is unlikely, and the battle is expected to escalate at the New York City trial, which will be heard in the same courthouse handling the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex-trafficking case.