At the prestigious Time100 Gala, Blake Lively took the stage and dished on a deeply personal story about her mother who was among the audience at the star-studded event.
- April 26, 2025
AceShowbiz - Blake Lively delivered an emotional speech at the Time100 Gala, revealing a harrowing family history that profoundly impacted her life. Accepting the honor of being one of this year's influential people, she shared the painful story of her mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, who was also present at the event.
Lively said her mom survived an attempted assault years before she was born. "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," Lively revealed.
She emphasized her mother's "unwavering bravery" and credited an unknown survivor for saving her mother's life. This unnamed woman's story shared over the radio, giving McAlpin the strength to survive.
"The woman painfully and graphically shared how she escaped, and because of hearing that woman speak to her experience instead of shutting down in fear and unfair shame, my mom is alive today," the actress said.
"She was saved by a woman whose name she'll never know. I am alive, and standing with you all here today, being honored, because of a woman whose name I'll never know. I am here, my mom is here, because that woman not only survived, but she told others how."
Lively also honored "incredible" fellow Time100 Honoree Gisele Pelicot, the French woman who attended every day of the trial of her husband and dozens of men accused of drugging, sexually assaulting her.
She briefly touched on her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni, whom she accused of sexual harassment and smear campaign, but she refrained from delving deeply into the controversy. "I have so much to say about the last two years of my life, but tonight is not the forum," she said.
Lively ended her speech on an inspiring note, reflecting on the resilience of women. "I know the superpower of female triumph though. I have touched it, shaken hands with it. I'm looking at it in this room here right now. These are the happy endings we must see as women and girls. We can make it to the end alive, physically or emotionally, and we will and we do, and we thrive."
Other honorees at this year's event included Kristen Bell, Serena Williams, Scarlett Johansson, Simone Biles, Demi Moore, Reese Witherspoon, and Snoop Dogg.
