Blake Lively reacts to making Time’s 100 Most Influential People list during a toxic scandal.
Blake Lively brushed off recent controversies as she celebrated her spot on Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 list. “It’s an honor to be acknowledged on the @time 100 list for 2025,” Lively, 37, shared on Wednesday, despite a challenging year filled with negative publicity over her lawsuit with It Ends with Us collaborator Justin Baldoni. The Gossip Girl star joined big names like Serena Williams, Mark Zuckerberg, and Joe Rogan in the Titans section.
Lively, who has faced accusations of scheming for control on the It Ends with Us set, received high praise in Time from renowned civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill. Ifill, former head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, highlighted the $1 million donation Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, made to the organization in 2019. This came seven years after the couple married on a former slave plantation in South Carolina, a choice that sparked significant criticism and led to an apology from Reynolds. Lively expressed that being written about by someone like Ifill was something she deeply valued.
“Her work has shaped our nation,” Lively said. “Who she is—as a human, woman, mother, leader, fighter, healer, empath, risk-taker, and dream maker—has deeply influenced my heart and strengthened my determination to always believe in a better, safer future for all.”
“Thank you. And thank you for one of the most surreal and meaningful moments of my life. My 10-year-old self is completely blown away right now,” Lively said.
In her tribute, Ifill praised Lively as a “philanthropist” and “serious person” dedicated to advancing the country. “I don’t know the Blake Lively of the red carpet or the Met Gala. I never watched Gossip Girl,” Ifill wrote. “The Blake Lively I know is a philanthropist and a student of our country’s toughest issues. She and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, made a significant contribution to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in 2019.”
Ifill, who served as president and director-counsel of the organization from 2012 to 2022, shared: “I had been receiving a few of these calls, as our work combating voter suppression and police brutality was gaining national attention.”
She added, “I’m always curious about the kind of research famous people do before making that cold call to offer their support. The ones I’ve stayed connected with are those, like Blake, who really took the time to learn.”
Ifill expressed that she immediately admired Lively’s curiosity and her genuine effort to understand the conditions shaping the country. “I remember an early conversation where she expressed frustration that much of our nation’s history wasn’t included in her education,” Ifill recalled.
She went on to say that Lively’s “commitment to filling those gaps—and becoming the most informed and prepared citizen—is what I value most about her. Blake is serious, a risk-taker, and deeply committed to advancing this country. She’s doing it for her children, and for mine.”
We have reached out to Ifill for further comment on her support of Lively amid the ongoing litigation that has made headlines throughout 2025.
Lively later took to Instagram Stories on Wednesday to share her gratitude for being included on the exclusive list.
“I’m able to see this moment as if looking back from the future or forward from childhood,” she said. “From every time period, I can see how meaningful this is to me—not just being included, but having a voice.”
She added, “It’s a fortunate thing, though it should be a given. So thank you to Time and to everyone who lifts up those who live boldly, even when it’s scary.”
Lively was recognized in the Titans section alongside names like Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.
Netflix chief Ted Sarandos, fashion designer Miuccia Prada, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, and Palantir CEO Alex Karp were also featured in the same section.
This recognition comes after Lively faced accusations from storyboard artist Talia Spencer, who claimed on Sunday’s edition of 60 Minutes Australia that Lively attempted to wrest control of the It Ends With Us film from Justin Baldoni.
In a segment discussing the bitter legal battle between Lively and Baldoni, 41, Spencer strongly defended the director, whom Lively accused of sexual harassment and of launching a retaliatory smear campaign against her in December.
While discussing her former boss, Spencer described Baldoni, who has denied Lively’s allegations and filed a defamation countersuit, as “one of the few directors I’ve worked for who was kind and respectful.”
“I feel like maybe Blake sensed his kindness, mistook it for weakness, and tried to take advantage and seize power,” she speculated.
When asked directly if she believed Lively attempted to take control of the film, Spencer replied, “I think she tried to, yes.”
As for whether Lively was successful, the It Ends With Us crew member shared that she felt “there was a massive compromise in terms of Justin’s original vision for the film.”
Spencer also recalled thinking that Baldoni cared “a lot about the vision” of the film and wasn’t “in it for fame.”
She added that she finds it “very hard to believe the allegations against him, considering his mission statement about the film and his genuine pitch about doing it to help young women.”
“I just find it hard to believe the allegations, to be honest,” she reiterated.
When asked if she ever felt uncomfortable during her interactions with Baldoni, Spencer firmly stated, “Not at all.”
“I felt more comfortable around Justin than many other film directors, based on my experience,” explained Spencer, who has worked in the art departments of 10 TV shows and movies since 2019.
We have reached out to both Lively and Baldoni’s representatives, but have not received a response.
Earlier, Baldoni told People that “there wasn’t a part of this production that [Lively] didn’t touch and have influence on.”
“Everything she put her hands on and her mind to, she made better,” he praised in an interview released months before she filed her lawsuit.
In January, Lively’s legal team strongly accused Baldoni of using the “abuser playbook” in his $400 million lawsuit against her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.
Lively and Reynolds were sued earlier this year for defamation by Baldoni and his publicists, who claim the actress orchestrated a scheme to ruin their careers and discredit them by making false accusations of sexual harassment.
Court documents obtained exclusively accuse Lively and Reynolds of using their combined star power to take control of their film It Ends With Us, in which Baldoni co-starred and directed.
The defamation lawsuit was filed after Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and creating a toxic work environment on set. Baldoni has firmly denied these allegations.
In response to Baldoni’s lawsuit, Lively’s attorneys issued a strong statement, asserting: “This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its associates is yet another example of the abuser playbook.”
They continued, “This is a familiar story: A woman comes forward with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation, and the abuser tries to flip the script on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO—Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.”
The statement further accused Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, of using its billionaire co-founder’s resources to issue media statements, file meritless lawsuits, and threaten litigation in an effort to confuse the public and distract from their retaliatory actions against sexual harassment claims.
Lively’s attorneys added, “They are trying to shift the narrative by falsely claiming that she took creative control and alienated the cast from Mr. Baldoni. The evidence will show that the cast and others had their own negative experiences with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer.”
“The evidence will also show that Sony asked Ms. Lively to oversee Sony’s cut of the film, which was selected for distribution and was a resounding success. Their response to the sexual harassment allegations: she wanted it, it’s her fault. Their justification for what happened to her: look at what she was wearing.”
The statement concluded, “In short, while the victim focuses on the abuse, the abuser focuses on the victim. The strategy of attacking the woman is desperate, it does not refute the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will fail.”
In his lawsuit, Baldoni accused Lively of taking control of the production, despite allegedly not reading the book until filming was already in progress.
The takeover allegedly extended to the movie’s premiere on August 6, 2024, where Baldoni and his family were supposedly relegated to the basement after Lively allegedly demanded he not attend.
The suit stated, “Security personnel, acting as if there was a risk of ‘escape,’ escorted Baldoni’s group to the basement.” There, they were confined to a makeshift holding area surrounded by concession stand stock, with only foldout tables and chairs arranged in a square.
The lawsuit also claimed that, in addition to not reading the book before filming began, Lively initially resisted the idea of reading it at all.
Despite the novel’s dark subject matter, Lively is said to have not taken it seriously during the promotional campaign, even naming a cocktail after the abusive lead male character.
According to the filing, this incident is evidence of the “insensitivity” that led to an “organic backlash” against Lively last summer.
Lively’s sexual harassment allegations first emerged in December through a New York Times article, which included text messages exchanged between his publicists. They now claim these messages were selectively chosen and taken out of context to make it seem as though Baldoni was orchestrating a “smear campaign” against Lively.
However, Baldoni argues that it was Lively who orchestrated the negative publicity campaign, claiming she had been working with her publicist, Leslie Sloane, and the New York Times for months before the article was published.
Baldoni is currently suing the outlet for $250 million for libel and defamation, stating that the story was based on Lively’s “self-serving narrative.”
Earlier this year, Baldoni’s team launched a website featuring private communications, including text messages included in court filings, which detail his interactions with the Hollywood power couple during the making of It Ends With Us.
He claims these communications show their attempts to undermine his role as director of the film.
Baldoni’s team has said that the materials shared on the website – which has already sparked significant fan discussion – clearly reveal the motives of both parties, adding another layer to the ongoing feud between the film’s lead stars.
The website, now live at thelawsuitinfo.com, was launched amid a wave of high-profile legal battles between the collaborators on the film, which became a box office hit last August.
The site went live just days before the first hearing, in anticipation of a trial scheduled to begin on March 9, 2026.
Lively filed an 80-page civil rights complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni on December 20, before officially filing a federal lawsuit on December 31.
In December, Lively sued Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment during the production of the film. In her lawsuit, the Gossip Girl alum claimed Baldoni harassed her in several ways, including body-shaming, and orchestrated a smear campaign to damage her reputation.
Baldoni and his representatives have responded by saying Lively misrepresented the meaning of text messages and misled the public about their interactions during the film’s production.
Lively’s lawsuit also named several of Baldoni’s collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the CEO and financial backer of the studio, and PR personnel Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel.
“I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics used to harm those who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,” Lively told The New York Times the day after filing the complaint.
In response, Baldoni filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the newspaper over a December 21 story titled “‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine,” which the newspaper has denied.
Baldoni told the court that the trio had fabricated “false accusations of sexual harassment” against him.
Since Lively’s complaint was filed, Baldoni has faced several professional setbacks, including a lawsuit from a former publicist and being dropped by his agency, WME, which also represents Lively and Reynolds.
WME has denied claims that Lively and Reynolds pressured them to remove Baldoni from their client roster, according to Variety.
Both parties’ legal teams have agreed to combine both federal cases moving forward. All parties involved in the litigations have denied the allegations against them.
It Ends With Us, which also starred Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar, and Kevin McKidd, premiered on August 9 and became a hit with audiences.
The film, adapted from Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel, grossed $148 million domestically and $350 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.
Lively rose to fame with the 2005 movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants alongside Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel, and America Ferrera. This led to her starring role on Gossip Girl, where she played Serena van der Woodsen from 2007-2012.
She has also appeared in films such as The Town (2010), The Shallows (2016), A Simple Favor (2018), and The Rhythm Section (2020).
Before It Ends With Us, Baldoni was best known for his role as Rafael Solano on the TV show Jane the Virgin (2014-2019). He has also directed films such as Five Feet Apart (2019) and Clouds (2020), and authored the 2021 book Man Enough, which explores misconceptions of modern masculinity.
