Blake Lively Honors Her Mother, Who Survived an Attack on Her Life, in Time100 Gala Speech: ‘Never Underestimate a Woman’s Ability to Endure Pain’

by

At the Time100 Gala on Thursday night, Blake Lively took to the stage to deliver a heartfelt, five-minute speech dedicated to her mother, Willie Elain McAlpin. This speech celebrated her mother’s strength and resilience in overcoming an attempted attack on her life before Blake was born.

I owe much of who I am to my resilient and optimistic mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, who’s joining me here tonight. She’s always been a source of inspiration, sending me messages with her catchphrase, ‘life’s like a basket of sweet cherries.’

Reflecting on my life, I want to share that my mom didn’t receive justice for the attempted assault by one of her work associates when she was a mother of three young children. This happened years before I was born. However, she has always attributed her survival to a story she heard from another woman in a similar situation, listening to it on the radio as she drove home one day.

I’m grateful for the woman who bravely recounted her harrowing tale of survival, which empowered my mother to do the same rather than succumbing to fear and unwarranted embarrassment. Because of this woman, whose identity remains unknown to us, my mother is still with us today. And here I stand, receiving this honor, because a woman I’ll never know saved not only herself but also my family. We are both alive, we are all here today, thanks to the fact that she not only survived but shared her story with others.

On Thursday evening, Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds graced the Time100 Gala held at Lincoln Center in New York City. Notably, Blake was among the nominees for this year’s Time100 list. This event was not Blake’s first public appearance since filing a lawsuit against her “It Ends With Us” colleague and director Justin Baldoni; she previously appeared onstage alongside Anna Kendrick and Paul Feig during the SXSW premiere of “Another Simple Favor” in March.

However, Lively’s speech hinted at a public recognition of the ongoing legal struggle, as she expressed, “I have a great deal to share about the past two years of my life, but this isn’t the right platform for it tonight.

I’ve experienced the strength of women’s victories, felt it, shared it – it’s here among us now. These are the triumphant tales we should envision for women and girls. We can survive, both physically and emotionally, and not just survive but flourish. Even when it seems impossible, even when we’re in great agony, we do.”

“Always remember the resilience of a woman’s spirit – life is indeed a delightful mix of challenges and joys.

Actress Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, his publicists, and the production team of “It Ends With Us,” claiming they initiated a malicious campaign to discredit her after she raised concerns about sexual harassment on set. In response, Baldoni, who directed and acted alongside Lively in the movie, countersued her and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, stating that they aimed to sabotage his career with fabricated accusations. Baldoni’s lawsuit alleges that Lively repeatedly used veiled threats of false claims to seize control of the film. The complaint also implicates Lively and her team for collaborating with the New York Times over several months to publicize her allegations, with the newspaper being listed as a defendant in the suit.

Time has made the entirety of Lively’s speech available for reading on their online platform.

Read More

2025-04-25 08:16