On Thursday night, at the prestigious Time 100 Gala, Blake Lively stood poised to address the audience, her voice tinged with emotion as she began, "I have an abundance of tales to share from the past two chapters of my life, but tonight is not the appropriate venue." Honored by Time magazine as one of the year's most influential individuals, Lively's presence was a testament to her impact.
Recently, much of the media attention surrounding Lively has centered on her ongoing legal dispute with her co-star and director from 'It Ends With Us', Justin Baldoni. Yet, on this evening, her heart was set on paying tribute to her mother, a survivor of a life-threatening attack orchestrated by a workplace acquaintance.
With a grip on her mother's hand, Lively shared, "What I will expound upon another time is the profound feeling of being a woman who possesses a voice today. The person who has most shaped my existence is my mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, who sits beside me tonight." Her eyes reflected the depth of her gratitude as she recounted, "My mom never obtained justice from the coworker who sought to end her life when she was the mother of three tiny children, years before I was born. She credits her heartbeat today to a story she heard on the radio from another woman in a similar plight, as my mom drove home, utterly unaware of the pivotal moment she would soon call upon to save her own life."
Lively's voice wavered as she continued, "This woman, with harrowing detail, recounted her escape. And because my mom listened to her narrative, embracing it rather than succumbing to fear and unjust shame, she is alive today. She was rescued by a woman whose name she will never know. And I, standing here honored among you, owe my existence to another anonymous woman. My mom and I are here because this woman not only survived but also imparted her survival strategy. It's a silent beacon of femininity, a silent promise that we must privately teach others how to endure—whether physically or spiritually."
The 'A Simple Favor' actress took a moment to express her gratitude to the men present, particularly her "adoring husband" Ryan Reynolds, who sat beside her mother, for being "kind and decent when the world isn't watching." Her heartfelt speech earned her a standing ovation.
However, not everyone shared in the admiration for her Time honor. Megyn Kelly, who has been outspoken about the Lively-Baldoni legal saga, expressed her skepticism, telling The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet, "She's definitely not here because she's one of the most influential people. There's no way Blake Lively is among America's most influential. She's controversial. In fact, she's alienated half the country and her fan base by involvement in what I believe to be a fraudulent #MeToo case. It's going to be a challenging year for Blake."
Lively has filed a lawsuit against Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation stemming from their time together, documents filed in December revealing the allegations. Although Baldoni was absent from the Time 100 list, Kelly opined, "He's not influential either." The journalist, herself a Time 100 honoree, added, "If it were my choice, it would be military personnel standing here, regardless of attire. So, it's difficult to genuinely commend myself or anyone else here."
Next, Lively will star in 'Another Simple Favor', the sequel to Paul Feig's 2018 film, premiering on Amazon's Prime Video on May 1.
