Blake Lively is ready to unleash the dragon in her upcoming trial!
As we previously reported, a judge threw out her sexual harassment claims against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, on Thursday. Only three of her allegations remain: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation. That is, unless the pair manages to settle next week. However, it seems unlikely the lawsuit will end there! Blake refuses to go down without a fight! She made that very clear in her latest statement on the judge’s decision!
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The Gossip Girl alum took to Instagram Stories on Friday night to express gratitude for “the heart” of her “unfathomably painful” case moving forward:
“I am 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. The last thing I wanted in my life was a lawsuit, but I brought this case because of the pervasive RETALIATION I faced, and continued to, for privately and professionally asking for a safe working environment for myself and others. I hope the Court’s decision shows others that, as unfathomably painful as it is, you can speak up.”
Blake then urged everyone not to “be distracted by the digital soap opera,” adding:
“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.”
As the actress wrote, her “claims won’t be the first or last time you’ll see examples of the extreme dangers of retaliation and digital warfare.” She then stressed that digital violence “affects us all,” especially women and children:
“So much critical work has already been done to expose systems, tactics and players who harm. The work to create more safety is in part at trial, but it will also continue far after this trial is over. This is the work I’m most proud of. 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.”
Blake said she “will never stop doing” her part in the fight to “expose the systems and people who seek to harm, shame, silence and retaliate against victims.” She concluded:
“I know it’s a privilege to be able to stand up. I will not waste it.”
At the end of the statement, the A Simple Favor star included a dragon emoji. You may recall that reference! Blake called her husband Ryan Reynolds and (former?) friend Taylor Swift as her “dragons” while comparing herself to Khaleesi from Game of Thrones in a cringe-worthy text to Justin. Guess she is in full dragon mode now! Read her statement (below), as well as one from her attorney, Mike Gottlieb, who slammed Justin’s lawyer, Bryan Freedom, for claiming the actor and his team have been exonerated because the harassment claims got tossed out:
Their trial begins on May 18. What are your reactions, Perezcious readers? Tell us in the comments (below)!
[Image via MEGA/WENN, CBS Mornings/YouTube]
