Blake Lively‘s arrival at the TIME 100 gala made headlines, given her ongoing legal battle with her “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni. The actor made an appearance with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, as one of the magazine’s most influential people.
Given the honor, she used her six-minute speech to talk about “the feeling of being a woman who has a voice today.” A video shared by PEOPLE captured her honoring her mother, Willie Elaine McAlpin, who she claimed to be a ‘survivor’ of assault from a coworker. The star proceeded to share the moving story of her mother’s experience.
Blake Lively says her mom was a ‘survivor of the worst crime’
As one of TIME Magazine’s most influential people, Blake Lively made a powerful speech honoring her mom at the TIME 100 gala on April 24. The actor shared her mother Willie Elaine McAlpin’s story of survival and dealt with topics like womanhood and assault. She arrived with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, at the event held at NYC’s Jazz at the Lincoln Center.
Blake Lively described being an honoree as “surreal and deeply significant,” given the tumultuous times. She also stressed the importance of being called “influential,” stating that it was a momentous responsibility, and how one uses the title for issues that matter. Alluding to her ongoing lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, Lively revealed that she had a lot to speak about the past two years of her life. However, she noted using her forum for a different purpose this time.
Blake Lively confessed to her mom being her biggest influence before calling the latter a “survivor of the worst crime someone can commit against a woman.” The actor revealed that her mother “never got justice” from her “work acquaintance,” who allegedly tried to take McAlpin’s life when she was a mother to three kids. Lively recalled this to be from a time before she was born.
The honoree recalled that her mom was inspired by a fellow woman who spoke about her “painful and graphic” escape journey on the radio. Blake Lively applauded the woman for speaking openly about her experience instead of letting shame take over. The “Another Simple Favor” actor said that the woman, “whose name we’ll never know,” saved her mother.
