The accuser of Red Bull Racing chief Christian Horner has been left "scared, intimidated and lonely" over the scandal, a family friend has said.
The unnamed woman accused Horner of abusive behaviour and sexual harassment earlier this year only to see the 50-year-old cleared of misconduct by an independent investigation.
The accuser has since been suspended by Red Bull, a decision she has appealed, and has signed a legal undertaking preventing her from discussing the matter with just her father and brother.
"It's impossible for people to understand what it's like for her," the friend, who is not named, told BBC Sport. "She can't talk and she won't talk. But I can tell you what it is doing to her. Every time I have asked her something, she breaks down in tears and says she's got no-one to talk to because she's not allowed to talk.
"She is very upset, very angry, very scared, very intimidated, very lonely. And I think it's impossible for people to understand without being in her shoes what it's like for her."
A Red Bull spokesperson said: "Both [parties] signed a confidentiality agreement on it so they both can't discuss it."
A cache of messages purporting to involve Horner was leaked to the media and Formula One personnel the day after Horner was cleared.
The friend continued: "She struggles to understand how, given the information, an independent process can have come to the conclusions it has, and the actions that have followed.
"It's shocking but not surprising how upset she is. There have been multiple financial offers [to sell her story], none of which she has had any interest in even engaging on.
She just wants to work in the sport and is very concerned about her reputation and ability to get hired by anyone.
"The fact she can't talk to her friends, is only allowed to talk to her direct family members… you have a single female who has followed the right process and feels like she is unheard and it has been a totally unjust process.
"It takes a pretty brave woman to do what she has done. And unfortunately it is a very poor state of affairs."
She added: "Because she can't talk to her friends openly, I think she has all this bottled-up fear and concern that she is not able to openly communicate with her friends and family to support her and give her advice, because she is being respectful of the terms and conditions that have been placed upon her.
"It's pretty clear she has not been able to say a word or even identify herself and yet Christian is able to give enough commentary because he has got a position of power and influence to effectively give his side of the story and she has been completely muted."
