While accepting her Time100 honor, Blake Lively reveals her mother’s assault survival story and subtly addresses the controversy with Justin Baldoni
New York [US], April 25:
At the prestigious Time100 Gala last night, actress Blake Lively delivered an emotional speech, revealing for the first time that her mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, survived a brutal assault years before Lively was born.
Standing proudly with her mother in attendance, the It Ends With Us star shared,
“At her urging and with her unwavering bravery, she wanted me to tell you she is a survivor of the worst crimes that can be committed against a woman.”
🕯️ A Story of Survival and Strength
Lively detailed how her mother, then a young woman and mother of three, survived an attempt on her life by a work acquaintance — an ordeal from which she never saw justice. The pivotal moment that helped save her, Lively said, was hearing another woman share her own traumatic survival story on the radio.
“Because of that woman’s voice, because she refused to be silenced by fear and shame, my mother lived,” Lively said. “And because she lived, I am here today.”
She described this act of sharing as a “silent torch of womanhood” — a responsibility for survivors to help others find the strength to survive too.
💬 Subtle Nod to Current Controversy
Though she did not directly name him, Lively briefly referenced her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni, with whom she is entangled in a publicized feud over the production of It Ends With Us.
“I have so much to say about the last two years of my life, but tonight is not the forum,” Lively said, seemingly alluding to the tension.
Earlier in the day, Deadline reported that Baldoni and his PR team accused Lively’s camp of orchestrating a “ploy to obtain subpoena power” amid her harassment lawsuit filed against him.
🌟 Tributes and Solidarity
In her heartfelt speech, Lively also honored fellow Time100 honoree Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman who bravely attended every day of the high-profile trials of men accused of sexual violence.
Lively’s remarks resonated as a powerful testament to survival, resilience, and the often unseen bonds that connect women across generations.
With her raw vulnerability and poise, Blake Lively transformed her moment of recognition into a broader call for courage, solidarity, and the power of storytelling.