AceShowbiz - Chelsea Handler kicked off the 2025 Critics Choice Awards with her signature humor, providing a much-needed distraction from the recent challenges Los Angeles has faced due to wildfires while taking on a high-profile legal drama involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

The 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards, held at Barker Hangar on February 7, had been delayed twice because of the L.A. wildfires. Addressing the tough times the city has endured, Handler jokingly expressed gratitude towards Lively and Baldoni for providing diversion from the harsh realities.

"I want to acknowledge that we've been through a lot lately, not just here in Los Angeles, but our entire country," Handler stated. "So it is important in times like these to have a distraction, and that's why I want to personally extend my gratitude to Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. Thank you for providing us with that distraction."

Handler's comments pointed to the legal back-and-forth between the "It Ends With Us" co-stars, which has captivated public attention. Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and smear campaign. Baldoni responded with a defamation lawsuit that included her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Both sides have made serious claims, adding further intrigue to the case, which has its trial scheduled for March 2026.

"It ends with us, guys," Handler jested, referencing the 2024 romantic drama that Baldoni directed and starred in alongside Lively.

On a serious note, Handler took time to honor firefighters and first responders in the tragic wildfires while raising awareness to the victims.

"My hope for tonight is to take our time here together, and use it to remind each other and everyone watching of the resilience and determination that is within all of us when we come together as a community, with a huge debt of gratitude to our honored guests tonight, the firefighters, Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity volunteers," she said. "And so many more - that's exactly what we're going to do."

Additionally, Handler didn't miss the chance to reflect on her history with E!, the network broadcasting the awards. She celebrated the progress women have made in the late-night space since her time hosting Chelsea Lately.

"I spent seven years on this network," she said. "Now, 11 years later, look how far we've come. In 2025, the easiest way to get a late-night talk show as a woman is to have the creators of 'Hacks' write a fictional story about it."

The evening's awards saw "Conclave" and "Wicked" leading the film nominations with 11 each, followed by "Dune: Part II" and "Emilia Perez" with 10. On the TV side, FX's "Shogun" dominated with multiple nods.

The event, airing live on E! and available for streaming on Peacock, highlighted both Hollywood's resilience and the importance of humor in navigating challenging times.