Blake Lively Addresses Justin Baldoni’s Legal Issues and Honours Her Mother in TIME100 Gala Speech
Blake Lively, one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential individuals, addressed the stage at the 2025 TIME100 Gala and gave a stirring statement in which she quietly revealed the legal issues she has been having with actor-director Justin Baldoni. Speaking at Jazz at Lincoln Centre in New York City, Lively discussed the lasting legacy of her mother, the power of women, and the weight of influence.
Lively praised the honour as “surreal and deeply significant,” describing the significance of being acknowledged at a time when public conversation is frequently dominated by rage. She emphasised the significance of exercising influence with intention, pointing out that people’s decisions about what they stand for, what they say nothing about, and how they live out their ideals are very important.
Although it wasn’t the appropriate topic for the evening, Lively described the last two years of her life as transforming, even though she didn’t specifically discuss the lawsuit she filed against Baldoni in December 2024. She spoke passionately on the power and challenges that come with being a woman in today’s world, instead concentrating on women’s voices and survival.
Image Courtesy: blakelively/ Instagram
Her biggest influence, according to her, was her mother, Willie Elaine McAlpin. Lively disclosed a terrifying aspect of her family’s past, revealing that while raising three little children, her mother had escaped an attempted murder by a coworker. Even though justice was never done, hearing another woman openly discuss a similar event on the radio spared her mother’s life. Her mother had the means to live thanks to that stranger’s honest moment.
In light of this, Lively characterised womanhood as a personal covenant—a silent but potent commitment to teach others how to live, both physically and spiritually. She emphasised the heartbreaking fact that girls are raised in ignorance of the world’s potential for danger before eventually discovering the harsh reality of the threats they encounter in public places.
Image Courtesy: blakelively/ Instagram
In her closing remarks, Lively urged people to never undervalue women’s ability to persevere and referred to their tenacity as a fundamental human right. She also thanked her husband, Ryan Reynolds and other supportive males in her life, and she recognised all communities that are still fighting for safety and respect in all spheres of life.
–Farheen Ali
