Blake Lively was honored by TIME Magazine in their TIME 100 list — as one of the most influential people of the year — amid her messy public legal battle with It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni.
The magazine released the list on Wednesday, April 16. Lively’s entry was written by civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill, which began, “I don’t know the Blake Lively of the red carpet. Or the Met Gala. I never watched Gossip Girl. The Blake Lively I know is a philanthropist and a student of our country’s most intractable problems.”
Ifill praised the philanthropic work Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, are involved in.
“She and her husband Ryan Reynolds reached out in 2019 to make a contribution to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. I had been getting a few of these calls, as our work fighting against voter suppression and police brutality was receiving national attention,” Ifill noted. “I’m always curious about the kind of research famous people do before they make that cold call to offer their support. The ones I have remained in relationship with are those who, like Blake, really did their homework. I admired immediately her curiosity, and her sincere work to understand the conditions that shape this country.”
Stars Who Haven’t Spoke Out About Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s Case
The dedication continued: “I remember an early conversation in which she expressed frustration that so much of our nation’s history was not part of the instruction she had received as a student. Her commitment to filling those gaps—and becoming the most fully informed and prepared citizen—is what I appreciate most about her. Blake is a serious person. She’s a risk taker. And she’s committed to moving this country forward. For her children. And for mine.”
Lively’s inclusion in the TIME 100 list comes four months after she made headlines when she filed paperwork accusing costar and director Baldoni, 41, of sexual harassment, creating a “hostile work environment” and causing her “severe emotional distress” while working together on It Ends With Us.
Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman called Lively’s claims “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious,” alleging in a statement to Us Weekly that Lively filed the lawsuit to “fix her negative reputation” and “rehash a narrative” regarding the production of It Ends With Us. (Lively served as a producer on the movie.)
Breaking Down Blake Lively’s Accusations Against Justin Baldoni
That same month, Baldoni was one of 10 plaintiffs who launched a $250 million lawsuit against The New York Times for its coverage of Lively’s accusations. A spokesperson for the The New York Times told Us that the outlet is planning to “vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”
Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios also filed a lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds, 48, and Lively’s publicist, Leslie Sloane, seeking $400 million in damages. The lawsuit, filed in January, included accusations of civil extortion, defamation, false light invasion of privacy and other claims.
In response, Lively slammed the legal action taken against her.
“This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its associates is another chapter in the abuser playbook. This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender,” the statement read. “Wayfarer has opted to use the resources of its billionaire co-founder to issue media statements, launch meritless lawsuits, and threaten litigation to overwhelm the public’s ability to understand that what they are doing is retaliation against sexual harassment allegations.”
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s Alleged Feud and Lawsuits Explained
Lively’s legal team accused Baldoni and his associates of trying to “shift” the focus onto her.
“They are trying to shift the narrative to Ms. Lively by falsely claiming that she seized 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 they then selected for distribution and was a resounding success,” the statement continued.
The statement concluded: “Their response to sexual harassment allegations: she wanted it, it’s her fault. Their justification for why this happened to her: look what she was wearing. 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.”
The larger trial for Lively and Baldoni is set to begin on March 9, 2026.
