Blake Lively Shines on Red Carpet, Talks Feeling ‘Pain of a Retaliatory Lawsuit’ Amid Legal Win

Blake Lively wasted no time hitting the town after a judge tossed out Justin Baldoni‘s $400 million lawsuit against her.

On Monday, June 9, the Gossip Girl alum, 37, attended the Chanel Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner in New York City with her niece, Kate Johnson, by her side. Lively stunned on the red carpet in a white crochet dress and denim jacket, opting to keep her long locks down.

The appearance comes hours after Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed the defamation and extortion countersuit filed by Baldoni, 41, and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, against Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane. Judge Liman also dismissed the $250 million claim by the Jane the Virgin alum against The New York Times.

Lively spoke out about the ruling on Monday, posting an Instagram Story that provided a list of organizations fighting for women’s rights.

“Like so many others, I’ve felt the pain of a retaliatory lawsuit, including the manufactured shame that tries to break us,” wrote the A Simple Favor star. “While the suit against me was defeated, so many don’t have the resources to fight back.”

She thanked her supporters, adding, “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.”

Per People, Lively’s lawyers Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb said that the ruling was a “total victory and a complete vindication” for the actress.

“As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it,” the lawyers said in a statement. “We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages.”

However, Baldoni’s attorney, Bryan Freedman — who has until Monday, June 23, to file an amendment — shared a statement with TMZ on Tuesday, June 10, and made it clear the legal battle is not over.

“Ms. Lively and her team’s predictable declaration of victory is false, so let us be clear about the latest ruling. While the Court dismissed the defamation related claims, the Court has invited us to amend four out of the seven claims against Ms. Lively, which will showcase additional evidence and refined allegations,” Freedman told the outlet.

“This case is about false accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation and a nonexistent smear campaign,” he added.

“Ms. Lively’s own claims are no truer today than they were yesterday,” Freedman said. “With the facts on our side, we march forward and look forward to her forthcoming deposition, which I will be taking.”

The legal drama between the two celebs began in December 2024, after Lively filed a lawsuit alleging that Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of their film It Ends With Us. Baldoni, who also directed the film, denied the allegations and filed a $400 million countersuit in January 2025.