logo
Blake Lively Says Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Caused Pain and ‘Manufactured Shame' After Judge's Dismissal

Blake Lively Says Justin Baldoni Lawsuit Caused Pain and ‘Manufactured Shame' After Judge's Dismissal

Yahoo09-06-2025
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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ex-Memphis player accused of sending playbook to opponent in college football shocker
Ex-Memphis player accused of sending playbook to opponent in college football shocker

New York Post

timea minute ago

  • New York Post

Ex-Memphis player accused of sending playbook to opponent in college football shocker

The Memphis football team appears to have had a mole. Tahj Ra-El, a former player who has since transferred to Purdue, has been accused of sabotaging the Tigers by sending photos of their playbook to an opposing quarterback before a game last season. Instagram messages obtained by Tiger Sports Report allegedly show Ra-El — who exited the program in October — sending a picture of the Memphis playbook, along with other information, to UTSA quarterback Owen McCown before the teams clashed on Nov. 2, 2024. 4 The alleged Instagram DM exchange between Tahj Ra-El and Owen McCown. @On3sports/X 4 Former Memphis DB Tahj Ra-El. purduesports In the alleged exchange, Ra-El sent the playbook and wrote, 'Here you go,' and 'That's all the signals,' with McCown responding with laughing emojis. Ra-El purportedly sent McCown other information about the Tigers, including a tip about injured safety Kourtlan Marsh. The Roadrunners ultimately defeated Memphis, 44-36. 'We're on the field, and their offense has a check for every single one of our defenses' checks,' a member of the Tigers' 2024 team told Tiger Sports Report. A safety from Charlotte, N.C., Ra-El played three seasons at Old Dominion before his brief stint with the Tigers, during which he played four games and made one interception. 4 Former Memphis safety Tahj Ra-El goes up for an interception. Getty Images Ra-El no longer was with Memphis leading into that game, having announced he would be transferring from Memphis on Oct. 9. Tigers Sports Report further reported that Ra-El had been dismissed from Memphis during the season, which added incentive for his alleged sabotage. 4 UTSA Roadrunners QB Owen McCown (2) watches action from the sidelines during game between the North Texas Mean Green and the UTSA Roadrunners on November 15, 2024 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Purdue Athletics told On3 Sports' Tom Dienhart: 'Our coaching staff sees the scenario as being mischaracterized and does not have any concerns moving forward.' American Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti commented on the incident as well, downplaying concerns about the head-turning allegations. 'I'm aware of the situation. I've had very open dialogue with [UTSA] coach [Jeff] Traylor and [Memphis] coach [Ryan] Silverfield about it,' Pernetti said. 'They're going to address it. There's not really much to this story. I think a lot of it has been sensationalized and is much ado about nothing.' Ra-El declined to comment to Tiger Sports Report about the allegations.

The leading man we didn't know we needed is a 50-year-old 'daddy' with a heart of gold
The leading man we didn't know we needed is a 50-year-old 'daddy' with a heart of gold

Yahoo

time2 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

The leading man we didn't know we needed is a 50-year-old 'daddy' with a heart of gold

Women love him. Men want to be him. Everyone can't wait to see what Pedro Pascal does next. He can play a romantic lead. He can steal scenes in prestige dramas. He can suit up for Marvel. And he can do it all in a way that makes women — and men — swoon. In the heat of summer blockbuster season, you can't miss Pedro Pascal at your movie theater. 'I'm everywherrrrrrrrrrrrrre 👥👥👥👥👥' Pascal playfully captioned a June Instagram post about one of his latest films, Eddington. And he's right. Right now, he's starring in three of the summer's most talked-about movies: Materialists, Eddington and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. His reign isn't limited to the big screen. In addition to dominating multiplexes, he nabbed another Emmy nomination for his role in The Last of Us and has continued to stir conversation about his fashion sense, viral interview responses and general sense of whimsy. It's a pivotal time for Pascal — a 50-year-old actor finally having the breakout moment he worked for his whole life, generating a rabid fan army that's passionate about his upbeat and empathetic persona. But being everywhere has its price. Pascal truly broke out in January 2023 when he starred as the morally complex post-apocalyptic father figure Joel in The Last of Us, which led to a Saturday Night Live hosting gig, which earned him an Emmy nomination and a key role in Gladiator II. As his stardom was reaching inferno levels ahead of the 2024 awards season, he got hurt tackling Paul Mescal while filming Gladiator II. Then, he got hurt again after falling down the stairs. Being in his late 40s, he couldn't recover as quickly as younger actors who were also breaking out as action heroes. Jason Walsh, Pascal's trainer who has also been his friend since 2014, tells Yahoo he saw Pascal go through 'a downward spiral.' 'When he came to me, he was like, 'I'm broken.' He was very vulnerable psychologically,' he said. Pascal, no stranger to the long road to stardom, began an excruciating journey to recovery. Walsh said he and the actor spent a full year just working on 'restabilizing' his body and helping him overcome the fear of being hurt again. Eventually, through setting small goals and working closely together, Pascal attained the strength needed to become a superhero and do most of his own stunts. 'It's one of my favorite stories, and it happened to a good friend … I'm really proud of him because these stories don't get told, because in the world of fitness, it's all about aesthetics,' Walsh says. 'He looks f***ing great, but this is his version of strength and resiliency. He's able to do all these things.' Yahoo reached out to Pascal's team for comment, but he wasn't able to respond due to his schedule. Walsh can't say enough kind things about Pascal, whom he called 'a beautiful person and so courageous' and 'super intelligent to the point where it's intimidating, in a way, but he doesn't rub your face in it.' Pascal's ability to, despite injury, challenge the masculinity norms for middle-aged men in Hollywood stands out to Walsh. 'There's a level of empathy, compassion and love [that is among the] many qualities you don't see in men anymore,' Walsh says. What his friends love about him is also what's won him such a supportive fanbase. That's part of the reason his ascension to superstar happened so swiftly. Once people knew about him, they couldn't get enough. He's just different. 'Vulnerability is a strength' It's no accident that Pascal is ascending at a time when 'toxic masculinity and nationalism' are converging, Deepak Sharma, a culture expert and professor at Case Western Reserve University who uses they/them pronouns, tells Yahoo. 'Pedro offers a kind of masculinity that isn't binary, and people love it,' Sharma explains. 'He presents himself in a way where you can't really pinpoint [his sexuality] … and you see him showing a vulnerable sensibility in his acting and daily life.' Masculinity norms in the Latino community can be even stricter than those in the general population. Pascal knows this firsthand — as the child of Chilean refugees, he has defied stereotypical machismo and advocated for gender equality long before the spotlight was shining brightly on him. Longtime fan Isabelle Deveaux, a 26-year-old who works in the film industry, first became obsessed with Pascal when he appeared in the first season of an FBI drama called Graceland, which premiered on the USA Network in 2013 — before mainstream media took an interest in him in Game of Thrones or The Mandalorian. She tells Yahoo that she tends to keep an eye out for Latinx people in Hollywood like herself. 'He just feels like Princess Diana to me right now. There's a video of him greeting fans out of a car in Mexico City, and I was like, 'That's literally Princess Diana greeting the masses,'' she says. 'He's been grinding for 25-plus years to get where he is, and it wasn't an easy path for him. … I don't think it's a trend. I think it's the fruit of his labor.' Because he's so personable and Deveaux has been rooting for him for so long, she says Pascal feels like one of her friends. That makes her feel even more invested in his success. 'Everything is so bleak, but at least it's Pedro Pascal summer, and I can go see him in everything,' she says. Fans aren't the only people moved by Pascal. The entire Hollywood machine is impressed. Annie Semenova, an acting coach, tells Yahoo that Pascal is —simply put — really good at his job. 'Pascal understands something fundamental that many actors miss: Vulnerability is strength. … He brings a lived-in authenticity that makes audiences feel safe enough to invest emotionally,' she says. 'He's proven he can carry both intimate character studies and tentpole blockbusters because he approaches each with the same level of preparation and emotional honesty.' Fans admire his emotional depth — they aren't just calling him 'Daddy' because he's hot, though he certainly is. The title he's been given isn't exclusively about his looks or his age. He takes on protective roles that inspire people to match his vulnerability with their own. 'It's the natural result of an actor who embodies masculine vulnerability, emotional intelligence and genuine warmth,' Semenova adds. To some, he's Daddy. To others, he's a meme and a progressive icon. All are correct, pop culture historian Marie Nicola tells Yahoo. He's so rare, it's no wonder he inspires such intense fan behavior. 'He's a reflection of us, the audience. Pascal is the first leading man built by the female gaze, the queer gaze and fandom culture — not the male fantasy industrial complex,' she says. 'He belongs to the people' It's also impressive that Pascal has held key roles in several shows and franchises integral to geek culture: the fantasy series Game of Thrones, Star Wars vehicle The Mandalorian, video game adaptation The Last of Us and comic book movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He's transitioned seamlessly from franchise to franchise, treating the source material and fandoms involved with dignity and respect. 'He was not cast into stardom. He was assembled — claimed by femmes, nerds, queer fans, Latino communities, moms, dads and those who are emotionally fluent in internet culture,' Nicola explains. 'He belongs to the people who need him to be whatever they want him to be at any given moment, and in that moment, Pascal is always down for it.' Several fans tell Yahoo that they're struck by how Pascal remains politically outspoken in favor of transgender and immigrant rights despite campaigning for major acting awards and leading a blockbuster superhero film. He frequently speaks out on behalf of the LGBTQ community and brings his transgender sister, Lux, to events. That contrasts with the strategy many other stars are employing in the current political climate. Stacy Jones, CEO of influencer marketing company Hollywood Branded, tells Yahoo this is extremely rare — not just the bravery, but the continued widespread support. 'He's walked that tightrope because he leads with empathy, not ego. He doesn't posture. He uses his voice in moments that matter, and audiences respect that,' she explains. 'This current moment [for Pascal] is the result of smart career choices, solid personal branding and real emotional intelligence. He earned trust, and in today's celebrity landscape, trust is the new currency.' On July 17 — with two movies in theaters and a major superhero film on the way — Pascal posted on Instagram about how the Trump administration would soon close the national suicide hotline for transgender youth. ''Maybe kindness is the real punk rock,'' one fan commented on Pascal's post, referencing a line from the new Superman movie, a rare blockbuster the actor doesn't have a role in. Empathy, a rejection of traditional masculinity and activism are not the kinds of things you see a lot from superheroes, but Pascal is in a league of his own — different from his peers in just about every way possible. He is, as his Instagram handle @pascalispunk suggests, punk. Solve the daily Crossword

‘Old people are capable of more': meet the female weightlifters in their 70s and 80s
‘Old people are capable of more': meet the female weightlifters in their 70s and 80s

Yahoo

time9 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

‘Old people are capable of more': meet the female weightlifters in their 70s and 80s

Joan MacDonald is an influencer. There's no other word for it, though she winces a little when she says it. But she is an influencer, and an extremely successful one. The fitness maven has been on the covers of magazines such as Women's Health, modeled as part of lucrative brand deals and launched her own fitness app, Train With Joan. On Instagram, where she has more than 2 million followers, she shares pictures of herself posing in bikinis in picturesque locales and training at the gym in color-coordinated workout sets. But there's one small difference between MacDonald and many other social media starlets. She is 79. 'I was 70 when I started [working out],' MacDonald says on a video call from her home in Ontario, white hair elegantly coiffed. 'I keep thinking I'm in my 30s.' MacDonald's workouts are intense, whether you're 30 or 70. She does deadlifts, weighted planks and kettlebell swings, and casually lifts dumbbells the size of fire extinguishers over her head. Her arm muscles could put professional rugby players to shame. She is arguably the most famous older woman lifting heavy, but she's far from the only one. There's Ernestine Shepherd, 89, who has more than 101,000 Instagram followers and calls herself 'the world's oldest living female competitive bodybuilder'. Nora Langdon, in her 80s, recently shared a video of herself deadlifting 225 pounds. And earlier this year, the New Yorker published a documentary about Catherine Kuehn, who broke multiple world records for deadlifting in her 90s. Many of these lifters seem to delight in bucking the stereotype of the frail old woman who needs help carrying her groceries. 'Once you reach a certain age, it's like you can't do anything any more,' MacDonald says. 'Trainers and coaches dumb down everything for older people, but old people are capable of more than they think.' *** As they age, women's physical abilities are often underestimated by others as well as themselves, says Elaina Manolis, a physical therapist and assistant clinical professor at Northeastern University. Manolis says the menopausal and post-menopausal women she works with often need help unlearning the negative messages about exercise they absorbed growing up. 'This is a generation that has been wired to think women should never be in the gym,' she says. MacDonald and Shepherd remember worrying they would 'look manly' when they started lifting. 'At the beginning, I thought, 'I don't want to be lifting weights, I'll look like a guy,'' recalls MacDonald. 'But that's just brainwashing. [Women] are told that so much that we believe it.' Women who avoid strength training are robbed of its benefits, many of which are especially helpful for ageing bodies. In addition to building muscle – which one can do at any age, Manolis notes – strength training has a significant impact on bone health and cognitive function. The former is especially important for women, who have a much higher risk of developing conditions that weaken the bones, like osteopenia and osteoporosis. And it's fun. Shepherd says that as soon as she started strength training, her favorite thing about it was 'the joy and the way that you felt'. She and her sister started lifting when they were in their mid-50s, and soon they were training others and building a community. 'I would wear what my trainer would call my 'costumes',' she says – shorts, crop tops, leopard-print leggings. MacDonald says she faced some criticism from people in her life when she first started working out and posting about it on Instagram. 'I got some really awful remarks from people I thought were my friends,' she says. They commented on how she dressed – 'because I wear form-fitting clothing', MacDonald says – and her growing public profile. 'They said I didn't have to prance around and keep telling people what I was doing,' she says. 'That's not what old women are supposed to do. You're sort of told, 'Go quietly out the back door, will you?'' *** Attitudes are shifting, though. Manolis says she has lots of patients coming to her saying: 'I know I should start [lifting], I've been listening to a lot of podcasts.' And this is the first year the National Senior Games – an Olympic-style, multi-sport competition event for adults over 50 that takes place biennially in the US – will include a powerlifting competition. 'Over the last three or four years, more and more people have been asking me when we're going to add [powerlifting],' says Sue Hlavaseck, president and CEO of the National Senior Games Association (NSGA). Roughly 12,400 athletes are expected to participate in this year's National Senior Games, which are taking place in Des Moines, Iowa, at the end of July. Of those, 187 will be participating in the powerlifting competition – 99 men, aged 54 to 95, and 88 women, aged 50 to 82. The oldest female competitor, 82-year-old Faith O'Reilly, says a friend took her to a powerlifting meet in her late 30s. 'I was watching everybody and I thought, 'Well, I can do that,'' she says. O'Reilly has been lifting ever since. 'It suits me,' she says. She likes setting goals for herself, and enjoys the camaraderie of gyms and meets. And she appreciates the independence and confidence it has brought her. 'I've always liked being able to do things,' she says. 'And that's what powerlifting can do for you – you can handle your grandchildren, and your sacks of groceries.' Regardless of age, if you've never picked up weights before, it's best to start by working with a trainer or physical therapist who can help with form and individual needs. 'In most gyms that I've been in, people are happy to help,' says O'Reilly. Total beginners can see significant improvements in strength fairly quickly, says Manolis. She's had patients say that after four to six weeks of training they were able to get out of a chair without using their hands, walk up a full flight of stairs, vacuum the whole house or load a dishwasher for the first time in years. 'As we age, what we really want to do is to keep our independence and remain functional,' Manolis says. Strength training facilitates both of these things. That doesn't mean it's a cure-all. 'Being healthy and living life to the best of your ability doesn't mean you're going to be happy every day, or that you're going to be without pain or accidents,' MacDonald says. 'These things happen, but that's life. You've got to keep pushing forward.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store