Blake Lively was included in the 2025 Time100 “Most Influential People” list amid her legal battle with “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni.
In a statement to the magazine, who also named Serena Williams, Ed Sheeran, Demi Moore, Snoop Dogg and more to the coveted list, lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill praised the “Gossip Girl” alum for being a “philanthropist and a student of our country’s most intractable problems.”
“She and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, reached out in 2019 to make a contribution to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund,” Ifill said.
“I had been getting a few of these calls, as our work fighting against voter suppression and police brutality was receiving national attention. I’m always curious about the kind of research famous people do before they make that cold call to offer their support. The ones I have remained in relationship with are those who, like Blake, really did their homework.”
The civil rights attorney, 62, said she “admired” Lively’s curiosity and her “sincere work to understand the conditions that shape this country.”
Ifill claimed the “A Simple Favor” actress, who faced backlash after marrying Reynolds on a South Carolina plantation in 2012, “expressed frustration” about how the country’s tragic history “was not part of the instruction she had received as a student.”
“Her commitment to filling those gaps — and becoming the most fully informed and prepared citizen — is what I appreciate most about her,” she added.
“Blake is a serious person. She’s a risk taker. And she’s committed to moving this country forward. For her children. And for mine.”
Lively, 37, is currently in the middle of a contentious legal battle with Baldoni, whom she filed a lawsuit against for allegedly sexually harassing her on the set of their 2024 film, “It Ends With Us.”
The “Jane the Virgin” alum, 41, denied Lively’s accusations and, in turn, sued the New York Times for libel over a story published about her allegations.
In January, Baldoni filed a second lawsuit, accusing the mom of four, her husband and their publicist, Leslie Sloane, of defamation and extortion.
The film director claimed Lively and the “Deadpool” actor, 48, utilized their superstar friend Taylor Swift to assert control over the production of “It Ends With Us.”
Baldoni and Lively’s trial is slated to begin in March 2026.
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