Blake Lively Seemingly Alludes to 'It Ends with Us' Drama, Honors Mother During Time100 Speech
At the 2025 Time100 Gala, Blake Lively delivered a powerful speech where she subtly referenced her ongoing legal battle related to the 'It Ends with Us' drama but chose to focus on her personal experiences and those of her mother. She highlighted the importance of having a voice as a woman today and shared a poignant story about her mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, who survived an attempted murder by a work acquaintance years before Lively was born. This traumatic event in her mother's life was profoundly impacted by hearing another woman's survival story on the radio, which inspired her to find strength and avoid succumbing to fear and shame. Lively's speech also included a heartfelt acknowledgment of her husband, Ryan Reynolds, recognizing his kindness and goodness in private moments. Her address at the gala underscored themes of resilience, survival, and the unspoken bonds of support among women that transcend time and anonymity.
Blake Lively was honored as one of Time100's 'Titans' at the 2025 Gala and used her speech to allude to personal challenges and triumphs, including her legal issues related to 'It Ends with Us'.
During her speech, Lively emphasized the significance of women having a voice today, connecting it to her own and her mother's past struggles and resilience.
She shared a deeply personal story about her mother, who survived an assassination attempt by a work colleague when she had three young children, attributing her survival to another woman's broadcasted story of escape and survival.
Lively's mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, was inspired to overcome her trauma by a stranger's narrative, highlighting the power of shared experiences and the importance of speaking out.
The speech also included a tribute to Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds, recognizing his private acts of kindness and support, demonstrating the personal and familial themes woven throughout her address.
Lively's address underscored themes of personal resilience, survival, the importance of women's voices, and the unseen support systems that help individuals overcome significant adversities.
The event was a gathering of influential figures, celebrating the achievements and impact of individuals like Lively, who use their platforms to advocate for important social issues and personal narratives.
Blake Lively‘s speech at the 2025 Time100 Gala is making headlines.
The event, which was held on Thursday (April 24) in New York City, recognized the 37-year-old actress as one of this year’s Time100 “Titans.”
Her speech seemingly gave reference to her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni before recognizing her mom and the crime committed against her in the past.
Keep reading to find out more…
“I have so much to say about the last two years of my life, but tonight is not the forum,” Blake said, seemingly referencing the It Ends With Us drama. “What I will speak to, separately, is the feeling of being a woman who has a voice today.”
She then turned her focus to her mom, Willie Elain McAlpin, and revealed something the world did not know. Her mother was the victim of “the worst crime someone can commit against a woman.”
“My mom never got justice from her work acquaintance who attempted to take her life when she was the mother of three young kids years before I was born,” she heartbreakingly shared.
Blake explained how her mom heard another woman share her story of survival on the radio.
“The woman painfully and graphically shared how she escaped and because of hearing that woman speak about her experience instead of shutting down in fear and unfair shame, my mom is alive today. She was saved by a woman whose name she’ll never know,” Blake continued.
Blake also gave a shout out to her husband, Ryan Reynolds, for being “kind and good when no one is watching.”