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Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Blake Lively opens up on emotional turmoil caused by Justin Baldoni's lawsuit, reacts to dismissal: ‘I've felt the pain'
Actor Blake Lively responded after a judge dismissed a sweeping defamation and extortion lawsuit brought against her by filmmaker Justin Baldoni. In a post on Instagram Stories, the actor acknowledged the emotional toll of what she described as a retaliatory legal attack, and reaffirmed her commitment to defending women's rights. 'Last week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organisations united in defending women's rights to speak up for their safety,' Lively wrote. 'Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back.' She also added: 'I'm more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story. There are protections out there. Check out some of the incredible organisations below for resources and information. With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don't. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you.' Her post also included links to legal and advocacy groups such as the California Employment Lawyers Association, California Women's Law Center, CHILD USA, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, and Equal Rights Advocates. The statement came after a court decision on Monday that marked a significant legal defeat for Baldoni. A federal judge dismissed both his $650 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and a related countersuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist Leslie Sloane. Baldoni had accused the group of extortion and defamation connected to their public comments and media coverage regarding the 2024 film It Ends With Us. In his written opinion, Judge Lewis J Liman found that Baldoni's legal team had failed to meet the legal standard for defamation, specifically, proving that the defendants acted with 'actual malice' or knowingly spread falsehoods. Also Read | Blake Lively 'threatening' Taylor Swift with 'private texts' if singer doesn't support her, claims Justin Baldoni in new court filing 'The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged,' Judge Liman wrote in the court filing, obtained by PEOPLE. 'The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign.' Attorneys for Lively, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, called the ruling a 'total victory and a complete vindication' not only for Lively, but also for Reynolds, Sloane, and The New York Times. The lawsuit stemmed from internal disputes during the production and marketing of It Ends With Us, the 2024 film directed by Baldoni and starring Lively. Despite drawing mixed critical reviews, the film grossed over $351 million globally. In January 2025, Baldoni filed a $400 million suit accusing Lively and Reynolds of orchestrating a campaign to damage his reputation by alleging sexual harassment. He later expanded the suit to $650 million, adding The New York Times and others to the complaint.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Blake Lively breaks silence on Justin Baldoni's $650 million lawsuit dismissal: ‘Felt the pain of manufactured shame'
Actor Blake Lively is celebrating a major legal victory after a judge dismissed Justin Baldoni's $650 million lawsuit against her, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times. She admitted that she has felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, adding that she will continue standing up for women's rights. Also read: Justin Baldoni's $650 million lawsuit tossed out: Judge sides with Blake Lively and other defendants Blake took to Instagram to speak out after Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against her was dismissed by a judge. Taking to her Instagram stories, Blake wrote, 'Last week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organisations united in defending women's rights to speak up for their safety. Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back." The 37-year-old star added, 'I'm more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story. There are protections out there. Check out some of the incredible organisations below for resources and information. With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don't. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you.' As part of the post, Blake Lively shared a list of organisations for relevant resources and information, including California Employment Lawyers Association; California Women's Law Center; CHILD USA; Coalition Against Trafficking in Women; and Equal Rights Advocates. On Monday, Justin Baldoni faced a major legal blow as a judge dismissed his countersuit against Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and their publicist, along with his defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. The court's decision ends the director's $650 million legal battle, accusing them of extortion and defamation. In the opinion and order filing obtained by PEOPLE, Judge Lewis J. Liman stated, 'The Wayfarer Parties have not alleged that Lively is responsible for any statements other than the statements in her CRD complaint, which are privileged. The Wayfarer Parties have alleged that Reynolds and [publicist Leslie] Sloane made additional statements accusing Baldoni of sexual misconduct and that the Times made additional statements accusing the Wayfarer Parties of engaging in a smear campaign.' Meanwhile, Blake Lively's attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, described the decision a 'total victory and a complete vindication' for the Gossip Girl star and others whom 'Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times'. The ruling is the latest twist in the legal battle over the making and marketing of the 2024 film It Ends With Us. Justin Baldoni filed a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in January, accusing the Hollywood stars of trying to destroy his reputation by accusing him of sexual harassment.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively Says Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Caused Pain and ‘Manufactured Shame' After Judge's Dismissal
Shortly after a U.S. district judge dismissed Justin Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against Blake Lively, the 'It Ends With Us' star made a rare social media statement admitting to feeling pain and 'manufactured shame' amid her ongoing legal battle. 'Last week, I stood proudly alongside 19 organizations united in defending women's rights to speak up for their safety. Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us. While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back,' Lively wrote in her Instagram stories. 'I'm more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story. There are protections out there. Check out some of the incredible organizations below for resources and information.' On the story, Lively tagged a list of organizations for relevant resources and information for women to safely speak out: California Employment Lawyers Association; California Women's Law Center; CHILD USA; Coalition Against Trafficking in Women; Equal Rights Advocates; Esperanza United; Her Justice; Herunivercity Inc.; National Network to End Domestic Violence; National Organization for Women; National Organization for Women NYC; New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault; New York Cyber Abuse Task Force; New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition; Sanctuary for Families; Urban Resource Institute; Women's Equal Justice; and Women's Justice NOW. She signed off the note: 'With love and gratitude for the may who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don't. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you.' On Monday, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni's $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and the New York Times, which first reported on the actress' claims of sexual harassment and her director's alleged retaliatory campaign against her in December. 'The alleged facts indicate that the Times reviewed the available evidence and reported, perhaps in a dramatized manner, what it believed to have happened,' Liman wrote of the Times' reporting. Lively filed a motion to have the defamation lawsuit dismissed in March, citing a 2023 law signed by Gavin Newsom in the wake of the #MeToo movement that protects victims of sexual harassment, assault and related allegations against retaliatory efforts from the accused. 'Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively,' Lively's lawyers, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, said in a statement Monday of Liman's dismissal. 'This '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it.' The New York Times also shared a statement Monday applauding Liman's dismissal of the Baldoni suit. 'We are grateful to the court for seeing the lawsuit against The New York Times for what it was: a meritless attempt to stifle honest reporting,' a spokesperson said. 'Our journalists went out and covered carefully and fairly a story of public importance, and the court recognized that the law is designed to protect just that sort of journalism. We will continue to stand up in court for our journalism and for our journalists when their work comes under attack.' The post Blake Lively Says Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Caused Pain and 'Manufactured Shame' After Judge's Dismissal appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blake Lively Speaks Out in Emotional Statement After Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Is 'Defeated': 'I've Felt the Pain'
Blake Lively shared a message on Instagram June 9 to speak out after Justin Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against her was dismissed by a judge "I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us," she wrote Her lawyers have called the judge's decision a "total victory and a complete vindication" for the actressBlake Lively is opening up about the "pain" she was caused by Justin Baldoni's countersuit, which she declares has been "defeated" with the judge's dismissal. "Like so many others, I've felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us," the actress, 37, wrote on her Instagram Stories on Monday, June 9. "While the suit against me was defeated, so many don't have the resources to fight back." Lively added that she is now "more resolved than ever to continue to stand for every woman's right to have a voice in protecting themselves, including their safety, their integrity, their dignity and their story." "With love and gratitude for the many who stood by me, many of you I know. Many of you I don't. But I will never stop appreciating or advocating for you," she wrote. As part of the post, Lively shared a list of organizations for relevant resources and information: California Employment Lawyers Association; California Women's Law Center; CHILD USA; Coalition Against Trafficking in Women; Equal Rights Advocates; Esperanza United; Her Justice; Herunivercity Inc.; National Network to End Domestic Violence; National Organization for Women; National Organization for Women NYC; New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault; New York Cyber Abuse Task Force; New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition; Sanctuary for Families; Urban Resource Institute; Women's Equal Justice; and Women's Justice NOW. Among these organizations were groups and experts that recently filed amicus briefs in the ongoing case, sounding the alarm on what they called Baldoni's "attempt to dismantle a law designed to protect women who speak up," a spokesperson for Lively said in a previous statement. On June 9, Judge Lewis J. Liman granted motions to dismiss the $400 million lawsuit against Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, which alleged extortion and defamation, plus Baldoni's $250 million defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Her lawyers hailed the decision as a "total victory and a complete vindication" for the actress. In their statement after the dismissal news, Lively's attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb noted, "As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it." They added that they "look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages" against Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties, who "perpetrated this abusive litigation." Judge Liman noted in his June 9 filing that Baldoni's legal team can still amend the claims for breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract if they choose to move forward, with a deadline of June 23. Lively sued her It Ends With Us director-costar Baldoni, 41, plus others in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation, which he has denied. She recently agreed to drop two of her claims against Baldoni — intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress — in a move her legal team described as a "routine part of the litigation process" for "streamlining and focusing" their case. In March, Freedman spoke out after Lively filed a motion to dismiss their countersuit, saying the actress' attempt to "dismiss herself from the self-concocted disaster she initiated is one of the most abhorrent examples of abusing our legal system." He added at the time, 'Stringent rules are put into place to protect the innocent and allow individuals to rightfully defend themselves. Laws are not meant to be twisted and curated by privileged elites to fit their own personal agenda." Their trial is set for March 2026. Read the original article on People
