Blake Lively recently released a statement following the judge's dismissal of most of her claims against co-star Justin Baldoni.
Image: Instagram
American actress Blake Lively responded after ten of her thirteen claims - including allegations of defamation, sexual harassment and conspiracy against Justin Baldoni - were dismissed.
The “It Ends With Us” actress shared a statement on Instagram, expressing how she felt after the judge dismissed most of her claims.
“The last thing I wanted in my life was a lawsuit, but I brought this case because of the pervasive RETALIATION I faced, and continue to, for privately and professionally asking for a safe working environment for myself and others,” she shared.
Lively shared that she is grateful for the ruling because she will finally have the “ability to tell my story in full at trial”.
She added that this grants her an opportunity to not only speak on behalf of herself, but also for other women who have suffered from the same online abuse.
The “Gossip Girl” star said that this ongoing legal battle is not just some “celebrity drama” but rather abuse.
“Don’t be distracted by the digital soap opera. The constant packaging of this lawsuit as a ‘Celebrity Drama’ is not only irresponsible, but it is by design: to keep you from seeing yourselves in my story."
“The physical pain from digital violence is very real. It is abuse. And it’s everywhere. Not just in the news, but in your communities and schools,” she added.
The 38-year-old went on to urge parents to be careful of digital manipulation and always monitor their children’s phones because they are young and can fall victim to it.
Although the judge found the harassment allegations to be "far from baseless," they were ultimately dismissed.
This was because the judge determined that Lively was an independent contractor, not an employee, so the protections afforded under California law did not apply to the New Jersey location where the shoot for “It Ends With Us” took place.
In December 2024, Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni, claiming that he and several Wayfarer Studio employees deliberately launched a smear campaign against her after she raised concerns about misconduct on set.
She added that she, as well as other crew members, “experienced invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behaviour”.
The trial is set to go on trial on May 18.