Blake Lively Reacts To Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Update

by Natasha JokicBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffI'm a Senior Staff Writer at BuzzFeed covering pop culture, entertainment, and politics.

Blake Lively spoke out after the majority of her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni was dismissed.

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On Thursday, a judge dismissed 10 out of 13 of her claims — most notably, her allegations of sexual harassment. While the judge concluded that the harassment allegations were "far from baseless," they were dismissed as he found that Lively was an independent contractor, rather than an employee, and that California protections didn't extend to the New Jersey location of the shoot. They are still set to go to trial over her claims of retaliation.

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On Friday, Bryan Freedman, Justin's lead attorney, gave a statement to TMZ celebrating the decision: "The defendants were not afraid of the truth. The plan was not only to speak the truth but to also show that same truth over and over again through the presentation of actual evidence. Neither Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath nor any of the other defendants have engaged in the sexual harassment of Blake Lively...It is gratifying to see that the courts' ruling confirms what the legal team believed from day one."

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Blake subsequently shared a statement from one of her attorneys, Mike Gottlieb, on her Instagram story. In it, he pointed out that Freedman had been sanctioned by the court the week prior for "making claims that were legally frivolous and factually baseless" in the ongoing litigation.

Blake Lively / Via Instagram: @blakelively

"The court held, in painstaking detail, that Ms. Lively provided sufficient evidence of all the following: (1) She privately spoke up about and negotiated changes to on-set behavior by Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath that she, and others, found disturbing; (2) She reasonably believed, in good faith, that the behavior she privately raised concerns about was unlawful sexual harassment; (3) Baldoni, Heath, and Wayfarer Studios understood that her claims amounted to sexual harassment allegations; and (4) In response, they crossed the line and took steps that harmed her reputation and career," the statement continued, claiming that the "beating heart" of the case was her retaliation complaints.

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Blake then added her own statement. "I’m grateful for the Court’s ruling which allows the heart of my case to be presented to a jury next month, and for the ability to finally tell my story in full at trial, for my own sake, but also for those who don’t have the same opportunity to... many of whom I have known and loved deeply in my life, and the countless I’ll never know," she began.

Blake Lively / Via Instagram: @blakelively

"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 continued. "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."

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"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. If you’re looking, my claims won’t be the first or last time you’ll see examples of the extreme dangers of retaliation and digital warfare. And it often won’t be directed at celebrities or those who may able to speak up. It affects us all. Across the political spectrum. Pay attention to all the ways we can be manipulated online. Digital manipulation has been boasted as 'untraceable,'" she continued.

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"I couldn’t begin to stand up if not for the countless who’ve gone before me - and the masses who are still around us all - creating laws, social change, sparking conversations, rallying, working privately and publicly, risking and sometimes losing everything for the safety of others in all spaces. Some whose names we know, most we don’t. Thank you. All of you. I will never stop doing my part in fighting to expose the systems and people who seek to harm, shame, silence and retaliate against victims. I know it’s a privilege to be able to stand up. I will not waste it," she added, signing off with a dragon emoji.

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In case you were wondering how the online ecosystem is surrounding this case, people on a subreddit that leans pro-Baldoni were quick to say that Blake was "CRASHING OUT," "scary," and "unhinged."

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The case is set to go to trial on May 18.

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