Blake Lively reacts to $400m lawsuit against her from Justin Baldoni being dropped by judge with strong statement

Blake Lively has broken her silence following the dismissal of Justin Baldoni's countersuit by a New York judge.

The actress, 37, shared a statement to social media on Monday (9 June) just hours after the $400million (£295 million) lawsuit lodged by her It Ends With Us co-star was thrown out.

Baldoni, 41, alleged that he had been a victim of extortion and defamation in the legal case which listed Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds.

He filed it a month after the Gossip Girl actress filed a suit against his media company, Wayfarer Studios, alleging she was sexually harassed on the set of the film based on Colleen Hoover's popular book.

But yesterday, Judge Lewis J Liman dismissed Baldoni's countersuit, as well as his $250 million (£184 million) defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.

Baldoni has not yet addressed the dramatic development in the legal saga publicly, however, Lively has now spoken out in a short statement shared to Instagram.

The It Ends With Us co-stars have been locked in a legal battle since December (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

She discussed 'the pain' which comes with 'a retaliatory lawsuit', while thanking fans for their continued support over the last year.

"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.

"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."

The mother-of-four also shared a list of 'incredible organisations' who can offer resources and information, including the California Employment Lawyers Association, California Women’s Law Center, CHILD USA, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, Equal Rights Advocates, Esperanza United, Her Justice, and Herunivercity Inc.

Lively shared a statement to Instagram regarding the dismissal of Baldoni's case (Instagram/@blakelively)

Lively then signed off saying: "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 legal team also celebrated the news of Baldoni's countersuit being dismissed on Monday, describing it as a 'complete vindication' for the actress.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Lively's attorneys Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb said: "Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times.

"As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it.

"We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, [Steve] Sarowitz, [Melissa] Nathan and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation."