Entertainment
Blake Lively Can Still Argue Emotional Distress in Court

NEED TO KNOW
- Blake Lively requested the withdrawal without prejudice of two of her claims, relating to the infliction of emotional distress, against It Ends with Us director-costar Justin Baldoni
- Despite the Gossip Girl alumna dropping those claims, Lively can still introduce evidence of emotional damages via other claims — excluding medical records
- The actress “continues to allege emotional distress, as part of numerous other claims in her lawsuit, such as sexual harassment and retaliation, and massive additional compensatory damages on all of her claims” according to her legal team
Despite Blake Lively recently dropping claims against Justin Baldoni of inflicting emotional distress — the actress still has a route to pursue those accusations moving forward.
Amid the actress’ ongoing legal battle with her It Ends with Us director-costar, Lively, 37, requested on Tuesday, June 2 to withdraw and dismiss her claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The move came after Kevin Fritz, a lawyer for Baldoni, 41, filed a letter addressed to Judge Lewis J. Liman in U.S. District Court Southern District of New York requesting “an order compelling Blake Lively to identify her medical and mental health care providers” by signing a HIPAA release for access to therapy notes and relevant medical information.
The document noted that “instead of complying,” Lively requested to withdraw claims of emotional distress without prejudice. Doing so, the letter alleges, means that Lively refuses “to disclose the information and documents needed to disprove that she suffered any emotional distress” and seeks to “maintain the right to re-file her [infliction of emotional distress claims] at an unknown time in this or some other court after the discovery window has closed… Ms. Lively cannot have it both ways.”
On Wednesday, June 11, Judge Liman clarified via a ruling that “if the claims are not dismissed, the Court will preclude Lively from offering any evidence of emotional distress.” The court did not bar Lively’s team from offering evidence of other emotional distress, per the ruling.
“We are pleased that the Court confirmed today that Ms. Lively can, in fact, present evidence and testimony of her emotional distress, which she intends to do,” Lively’s lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, said in a statement on June 11. “Her decision to dismiss her specific causes of action for emotional distress does not bar her from presenting this evidence because emotional distress is an element of many of her remaining claims. The Court made that clear today.”
TheStewartofNY/GC Images
Following the Another Simple Favor star’s legal team withdrawing two of her claims, relating to the infliction of emotional distress, Hudson and Gottlieb responded in a statement shared with PEOPLE, “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.”
Lively “continues to allege emotional distress, as part of numerous other claims in her lawsuit, such as sexual harassment and retaliation, and massive additional compensatory damages on all of her claims.”
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The costars’ conflict began last December, when Lively filed a sexual-harassment complaint against Baldoni, alleging misconduct on the Colleen Hoover adaptation’s set and a retaliatory smear campaign, which he has denied.
In the original filing, Lively alleged that due to Baldoni’s behavior during and after the filming of It Ends with Us, “the emotional impact” on her “has been extreme, not only affecting her, but her family, including her husband and four children.”
The Jane the Virgin alum countersued Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and their publicists in January for $400 million, alleging extortion, defamation and more. However, the countersuit was dismissed on Monday, June 9, along with Baldoni’s $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
Lively and Baldoni’s trial — during which both are expected to testify — is currently scheduled for March 2026.
Entertainment
Chip and Joanna Gaines on If Being ‘Famous Parents’ Affected Them (Exclusive)

Chip and Joanna Gaines know that things have changed for them since they first became parents, and it’s becoming apparent as they raise their youngest son.
The HGTV stars spoke with PEOPLE for a new special edition, Chip & Joanna Gaines: Their Next Chapter (available now), and were asked if parenting is any different for them now that they are “famous parents.” Reflecting on the fact that their four older kids — Emmie, 15, Duke, 17, Ella, 18, and Drake, 20 — are now mostly grown, the couple says that things are different for their youngest, son Crew, 7.
“In my mind’s eye, it’s almost like we’re sitting at this big long table, and you’re on one side, and I’m on the other side. Crew is this little prep-school kid somewhere in the middle,” Chip, 50, jokes. “And we’ve got one of those little holders that holds the little egg. And we’re like, ‘Excuse me, Alfred, can we please get another this or not?'”
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Chip & Joanna Gaines
“Like, this kid is going to have a totally different upbringing,” he continues, joking, “these prior four were out shoveling cow manure at [ages] 6, 8, and 10.”
“It’ll be a little different,” Joanna explains. “But I think we have a little more capacity now to think more ‘future.’ What we care about the most is being together and celebrating moments together.”
The mom of five goes on to say that the couple has been prioritizing laying the groundwork to make sure they always have time for their family.
“We can finally have this space to think beyond just the everyday grind,” Joanna says. “I feel like we’re in this really beautiful season of reflection, but also now we can breathe, and we can see the future. What’s the vision for our family? What’s the vision for this business? Finally, we’re there, and now it’s like, ‘Okay, sky’s the limit!'”
Chip explains that for them, family has always been the priority, even when they were also focusing on their business.
“Ten years ago, we were extremely selfish in our desire to protect our family at all costs, which is not easy,” he says. “Everybody knows marriages are hard, families are complicated.”
“Family was most important. Business was most important. Our family was sincerely the most important, but it was a very close second that we cared so deeply about this business, and we wanted it to be relevant. We wanted it to be real,” Chip continues. “Now fast-forward 10 years, and things have shifted in this beautiful way.”
Chip & Joanna Gaines
The proud dad says that now, they’re lucky enough not to have to worry about “making it” anymore.
“I just feel a lot more confident about who we are as a couple now,” Chip says. “I love who we are together. And now you look at these beautiful kids who are — knock on wood — evolving into just great human beings. Just to raise kids that are not brats seems like a low bar, but it is harder than it looks.”
“We’ve got a boy who’s dating now, and the dad keeps reaching out like, ‘Hey, I’m so thankful for the way you’ve raised this boy because he’s really good to my daughter,’ ” the dad of five explains. “We don’t care if they’re the President of the United States or they’re going to go to Yale or Harvard. Obviously, we’d love for any of those things to occur, but that wasn’t the bar we set.”
“It was just like: Don’t be jerks. We care about our kids being good people in the communities that they eventually step into,” he adds.
For more from this exclusive interview, pick up PEOPLE’s new special edition Chip & Joanna Gaines: Their Next Chapter, available now.
Entertainment
Jaime King engaged to new man after losing physical custody of her sons in bitter divorce: report

Jamie King appears to be firmly in Loverville.
The “Hart of Dixie” star is engaged to investment banker Austin Sosa following her contentious divorce battle with ex Kyle Newman, People reports.
King, 46, recently lost physical custody of her sons James, 11, and Leo, 9, and was forced out of her Los Angeles pad for owing more than $42,000 in back rent.
As a result, King had been “staying with [Sosa’s] parents” in the lead-up to their engagement.
“She is very close with his family,” a source told the outlet.
In new photos obtained by Page Six, King flashed her diamond sparkler following an appointment at Sally Hershberger Salon in West Hollywood Monday.
King has only included Sosa in the caption of her Instagram post from last month, though she did not post a photo of her new beau.
“My God, I am the luckiest and most great mother ever. Thank you to Pammy, Chase, Austin, Gwendolyn and Carlos. Family forever 🎀💅🏻💯💗,” she wrote alongside several images of her with her two sons.
In March, a judge ruled that King and Newman, 49, will share legal custody of their two children, but the filmmaker will have sole physical custody.
King was given visitation rights, but she would have to be supervised and could only see the boys three times a week. In addition to supervised visits, King had been ordered to finish six months of rehab for drugs and alcohol.
Her custody agreement was dramatically amended after she failed to complete a six-month drug and alcohol program that consisted of weekly testing, a 26-week parenting program and both individual and conjoint counseling with her children.
“I’ve never had to think about myself as sober or not sober. I stopped using drugs at 17 or something,” King said.
In October 2024, Newman filed for sole custody of the kids after claiming he found his ex-wife “strung out” and “drunk” while watching their sons.
The exes were locked in a lengthy legal battle over finances and custody when King filed for divorce in 2020 after 13 years of marriage. They finally settled their divorce in 2023.
In March, King broke her silence after being kicked out of her LA home for racking up more than $42,000 in back rent.
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Entertainment
Sophie Turner Admits She’s ‘Never Watched’ ‘Game of Thrones’

NEED TO KNOW
- Sophie Turner appeared on the Dish podcast and confessed that she’s never watched her widely celebrated series, Game of Thrones
- The actress began her role as Sansa Stark at the age of 14, and remained on the series for its entirety, leading her to say goodbye to the character at 23
- She told podcast co-hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett that during her time on the HBO series, she learned several life lessons, including an unexpected sex education
Sophie Turner credits Game of Thrones for the many life lessons she learned during her adolescence.
Turner, 29, appeared on the Dish podcast and recalled for hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett that her “amazing” experience on the series for nine years “informed [her] entire life in terms of like business decisions, just etiquette on set, how to act,” adding, “Everything I learned from Game of Thrones — and a bit from my parents”
Turner first auditioned for the role of Sansa Stark at the age of 12 and began filming two years later. She wrapped the series when she was 23 during the show’s eighth and final season.
Although she spent a large portion of her life filming the series, she confessed to the co-hosts that she has yet to watch the show, partly due to her aversion to watching herself on screen. However, she said filming the Emmy-winning series was the “best acting class.”
Helen Sloan/HBO
She noted that she “loved” filming the series, which also starred Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Gwendoline Christie, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey and many more.
“I never had proper formal training, so I got to learn from the amazing actors around me, which I felt like I won a competition,” she said. “But it was great. We all were a family.”
“My character, I got to live with,” Turner continued. “So it felt like we kind of merged into one person by the end of it. But it was amazing.”
Along with learning more about the craft and herself, she also quipped that she got her sex education lessons from watching the graphic scenes filmed on set.
She acknowledged the series’ nude scenes — some of which were intertwined with controversial storylines — were “really crazy s—.”
“I definitely got my sex education from that show,” she joked. “More, more than enough.”
Dish
In October 2024, less than five years after Game of Thrones wrapped, she was asked by Variety if she would ever play Sansa again.
“Maybe. I mean, it would have to be the exact same cast and the exact same crew otherwise, I wouldn’t go back, and that would just be Season 9,” she said, adding, “I don’t think we’re going to do a Season 9.”
However, the actress reiterated that she “loved playing Sansa.”
“I do wonder often what would she be doing now,” she told Variety. “Where would she be five years later, what would she be doing?”
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All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are available to stream on HBO Max. Turner’s next project is the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series Steal.
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