**Blake Lively Attempts to Withdraw Emotional Distress Claims Amid Legal Struggle with Justin Baldoni**

Blake Lively is seeking to retract her claims of intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress against Justin Baldoni. This decision comes as Baldoni's legal team requested access to her medical records to contest the allegations that Lively experienced "severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration, and mental anguish."

In a filing made public on Monday, Baldoni’s attorneys pushed for Lively to sign a HIPAA release that would grant them access to therapy notes and other related documents. They noted that while Lively intends to withdraw her claims, she wants to do so without prejudice, meaning she could potentially re-file them in the future. Baldoni's attorneys argue that this maneuver allows her to avoid disclosing crucial information while keeping the door open for future litigation.

Lively's legal team, led by Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, has dismissed the filing as a "press stunt" and emphasized that their goal is to streamline and focus Lively's case. They pointed out that Baldoni's counterclaims broaden the scope for potential damages under California law, rendering some of Lively's initial claims unnecessary. However, they affirmed that Lively still alleges emotional distress within other claims, including sexual harassment and retaliation, among others.

The court is now tasked with deciding whether to compel Lively to release her mental health information or dismiss the two emotional distress claims with or without prejudice. It is a standard procedure for defendants in such cases to seek access to the plaintiff's medical records to evaluate the extent and origin of alleged injuries. Nonetheless, it is unusual for plaintiffs to abandon claims midway through a lawsuit, as the discovery of medical records is an expected part of the process.

The dispute underscores the ongoing tension between the two parties, both of whom have filed extensive legal claims against each other. Baldoni, the defendant and director of the successful film "It Ends With Us," accuses Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds of extortion and defamation, seeking $400 million in damages. Meanwhile, Lively’s lawsuit accuses Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath of sexual harassment and conducting a smear campaign against her.

Baldoni's legal team argues that by claiming physical and emotional injuries, Lively has waived any doctor-patient privileges associated with her mental health records. The back-and-forth between the legal teams has been intense, with substantial implications for both sides.

This case is part of a larger, complicated legal battle involving multiple related lawsuits, including one where Baldoni is suing and being sued by his former publicist Stephanie Jones over the leaking of text messages. The lawsuits have added multiple layers of legal complexity, capturing public attention and further entrenching both parties in a prolonged legal struggle.