Blake Lively has been slammed for the ’embarrᴀssing and disgusting’ decision to include her on the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People of 2025.

She was placed in the тιтans section among heavyweights like tennis legend Serena Williams, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and podcast superstar Joe Rogan.

The Gossip Girl star was given the honor amid her war of lawsuits with Justin Baldoni, her co-star and director on last year’s movie It Ends With Us.

She received a glowing tribute inside the magazine from civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill, who was head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund when Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds gave $1 million to the organization in 2019. 

The donation came seven years after the Hollywood couple got married on a former slave plantation in South Carolina, a move that has repeatedly brought them in for fierce criticism and for which Reynolds subsequently apologized. 

As news spread that Lively had been named to the vaunted Time list, she and the magazine were both furiously condemned on social media.

Blake Lively has been slammed for the ’embarrᴀssing and disgusting’ decision to include her on the Time 100 list of the Most Influential People of 2025 

‘You pretty screwed yourself @TIME adding Blake Lively for something she did in 2019 to save face from having her wedding at a plantation!’ fumed one use of X, formerly known as Twitter. ‘It is clear to everyone to get on these list you just have to pay a price! @TIME you have NO credibility!’

‘The fact that Blake Lively made the Time 100 list is disgusting!’ wrote another. ‘She & Ryan Reynolds NEVER supported the black community before. Until it was known that they married on a slave plantation! How much did they pay for that article?’

Read More Blake Lively discusses being given a ‘voice’ and ‘uplifting people when it’s scary’ amid Justin Baldoni scandal as she is named as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People

‘Seriously?????????? Lmao this is embarrᴀssing and disgusting of you,’ wrote a third as a fourth alleged: ‘Mainstream pop culture media is totally bought and paid for.’

‘How much is this costing her?’ wondered another X user. ‘Just pay Baldoni the 400 million already, in the Long run it will be cheaper.’

Meanwhile one observer put forward the theory that ‘press agents lobby to get their clients on these type of lists. they mean nothing.’ 

‘TIME is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ,’ ‘Wow,’ ‘Is this a joke?,’ ‘I wonder how much she paid for this write up?’ and ‘Blake babes pack it up,’ were among the other reactions.

‘I’m so tired of celebrities getting their way, especially when they deceive people and lie,’ one X use groaned. ‘I really hope karma gets her.’

‘Welp that confirms those are paid appointments just like on the walk of fame,’ alleged one as another ᴀsserted: ‘TIME is now as irrelevant as she is.’

Meanwhile Lively shrugged off her controversies and issued a statement saying: ‘It’s an honor to be acknowledged on the @time 100 list for 2025’ 

As news spread that Lively had been named to the vaunted Time list, she and the magazine were both furiously condemned on social media

Lively was slated for being ‘desperate,’ as one social media user remarked: ‘These PR stunts make me like her less…do they realize that?’ 

Another member of the public opined: ‘Oh she’s influential alright-esp when it comes to maliciously destroying an innocent man’s career. Takes a true narcissist to do that -Karma is coming for her.’ 

Meanwhile Lively shrugged off her controversies and issued a statement saying: ‘It’s an honor to be acknowledged on the @time 100 list for 2025.’

The Gossip Girl star said ‘to be written about by the great Sherrilyn Ifill was not something’ she takes lightly. 

‘Her work has shaped our nation,’ Lively said. ‘WHO SHE IS – as a human, woman, mother, leader, fighter, healer, empath, risk taker and dream maker – has shaped my heart and also my stamina to never stop believing in a future that’s better and safer for everyone. 

‘Thank you. And thank you for one of the most surreal and meaningful moments of my life in this honor. My 10 year old self is pretty blown away right now.’

In her testimonial, Ifill hailed Lively as a ‘philanthropist’ and a ‘serious person’ who was ‘committed to move this country forward.’

‘I don’t know the Blake Lively of the red carpet. Or the Met Gala. I never watched Gossip Girl,’ wrote Ifill. ‘The Blake Lively I know is 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, who served as president and director-counsel of the organization from 2012 to 2022, wrote: ‘I had been getting a few of these calls, as our work fighting against voter suppression and police brutality was receiving national attention.’

She noted: ‘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.’

Ifill wrote that she ‘admired immediately her curiosity, and her sincere work to understand the conditions that shape this country. 

‘I remember an early conversation in which she expressed frustration that so much of our nation’s history was not part of the instruction she had received as a student.’

Lively subsequent took to Instagram Stories Wednesday with comments about how deeply she was honored with her inclusion on the exclusive list

Lively, who has been accused of scheming for control on the set of It Ends with Us, received a glowing tribute from civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill. Pictured in NYC in 2019

Lively subsequently thanked the famed lawyer Ifill for penning her piece in the magazine.

She added that Lively’s ‘commitment to filling those gaps—and becoming the most fully informed and prepared citizen – is what I appreciate most about her. 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.’

Dailymail.com has reached out to Ifill for further comment on her endorsement of Lively amid the ongoing litigation, which has made headlines throughout 2025.

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Surprising new twist that could turn Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni legal battle on its head

Lively subsequent took to Instagram Stories Wednesday with comments about how deeply she was honored with her inclusion on the exclusive list.

‘I’m able to see this moment, almost looking back from the future, or looking ahead from childhood,’ she said, ‘and from every time period I can see how profound this is to me. Not just to be included, but to have a voice.’

Lively continued, ‘It’s a fortunate thing, when it should be a given. So thank you to time and to each of you who uplift the many who live boldly, even when it’s scary.’

Lively has been included in the тιтans section of honorees among such names as Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

Netflix chief Ted Sarandos, fashion designer Miuccia Prada, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and Palantir CEO Alex Karp were in the same section. 

The honor comes after Lively was accused of trying wrestle control of the It Ends With Us film from Justin Baldoni by storyboard artist, Talia Spencer, on Sunday’s edition of 60 Minutes Australia.

She received a glowing tribute in the magazine from Sherrilyn Ifill, who was head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund when Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds (left) donated $1 million to it 

Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds appeared on the SNL50 special in February in what some said was an attempt to salvage their image amid the nasty allegations made in the lawsuits 

In a segment exploring the ugly legal battle between the Gossip Girl actress, 37, and and Baldoni, 41, storyboard artist Talia Spencer fiercely defended the director, who Lively accused of Sєxual harᴀssment and launching a retaliatory smear campaign against her in December

In a segment exploring the ugly legal battle between Lively and and Baldoni, 41, Spencer fiercely defended the director, who Lively accused of Sєxual harᴀssment and launching a retaliatory smear campaign against her in December.

While speaking about her former boss, Spencer described Baldoni, who has denied all of Lively’s allegations and filed a defamation countersuit against her, as ‘one of the few directors I’ve worked for that was kind and respectful.’ 

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Justin Baldoni’s lawyer takes brutal dig at ‘privileged elite’ Blake Lively

‘I feel like maybe Blake smelled his kindness, mistook it for weakness and tried to take advantage and take power,’ she speculated. 

When asked directly if she believed Lively attempted to seize control of the film,  Spencer answered: ‘I think she tried to, yes.’

As for whether Lively was successful in obtaining that power, the It Ends With Us crew member stated she feels ‘there was a mᴀssive compromise in terms of Justin’s original vision for the film.’

Spencer also recalled thinking that Baldoni cared ‘a lot about the vision’ of the film and was ‘not in it for fame.’ 

She went on to say that she finds it ‘very hard to believe the allegations against him, considering his mission statement about the film. And him, genuinely, pitching that he was doing this film to help young women.’

‘I just find it hard to believe the allegations, to be honest,’ she reiterated.

A number of Blake Lively’s friends chimed in with supportive sentiments for the actress but others on social media felt things had been  orchestrated 

While speaking about her former boss, Spencer described Baldoni, who has denied all of Lively’s allegations and filed a defamation countersuit against her, as ‘one of the few directors I’ve worked for that was kind and respectful’

In response to whether she ever felt uncomfortable during any of her interactions with Baldoni, Spencer insisted ‘not at all.’

‘I felt more comfortable being around Justin than a lot of film directors, in my experience,’  explained Spencer, who has worked in the art departments of 10 TV shows and movies since 2019.

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Lip reader reveals Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick’s lackluster conversation at premiere

DailyMail.com has reached out to both Lively and Baldoni’s respective reps, but have not heard back.

Previously, Baldoni told People that ‘there wasn’t a part of this production that [Lively] didn’t touch and have influence on.’

‘Everything she put her hands on and her mind to, she made better,’ he praised in an interview, released months before she filed her lawsuit.

In January, Lively’s legal team furiously accused Baldoni of using the ‘abuser playbook’ in his $400 million lawsuit against her and Reynolds.

Lively and Reynolds were sued, earlier this year, for defamation by Baldoni and his publicists, who say the actress cooked up a scheme to kill their careers and discredit them by making false accusations of Sєxual harᴀssment.

Lively, seen last August in London, accused Baldoni of Sєxually harᴀssing her in multiple ways during the making of the movie It Ends With Us

Court papers obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com accuse Lively and Reynolds of using their combined star power to hijack their film, It Ends With Us, which Baldoni co-starred in and directed.

The defamation suit came after Lively sued Baldoni for Sєxually harᴀssment and creating a toxic work environment on the set of the film. He has staunchly denied the allegations.

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In response to Baldoni’s lawsuit, Lively’s attorneys issued a fiery statement to DailyMail.com, declaring: ‘This latest lawsuit from Justin Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its ᴀssociates is another chapter in the abuser playbook.’

They added: ‘This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of Sєxual harᴀssment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender.’

The statement alleged Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios ‘opted to use the resources of its billionaire co-founder to issue media statements, launch meritless lawsuits, and threaten litigation to overwhelm the public’s ability to understand that what they are doing is retaliation against Sєxual harᴀssment allegations.’

Lively’s attorneys added: ‘They are trying to shift the narrative to Ms. Lively by falsely claiming that she seized creative control and alienated the cast from Mr. Baldoni. The evidence will show that the cast and others had their own negative experiences with Mr. Baldoni and Wayfarer.

‘The evidence will also show that Sony asked Ms. Lively to oversee Sony’s cut of the film, which they then selected for distribution and was a resounding success. Their response to Sєxual harᴀssment allegations: she wanted it, it’s her fault. Their justification for why this happened to her: look what she was wearing.’

The statement concluded: ‘In short, while the victim focuses on the abuse, the abuser focuses on the victim. The strategy of attacking the woman is desperate, it does not refute the evidence in Ms. Lively’s complaint, and it will fail.”

‘I feel like maybe Blake smelled his kindness, mistook it for weakness and tried to take advantage and take power,’ she speculated

When asked directly if she believed Lively (pictured last year) attempted to seize control of the film, Spencer answered: ‘I think she tried to, yes’

She also admitted it is ‘very hard to believe the allegations against him’ (Lively and Baldoni seen on set in January 2024)

In Baldoni’s lawsuit, he accused Lively of muscling in on production, despite allegedly failing to read the book until filming was well under way.

The hijack allegedly went as far as relegating Baldoni and his family to the basement after arriving on the red carpet for the movie’s premiere on August 6, 2024, because ‘Lively demanded he not attend’.

The suit said: ‘Security personnel, acting as though there was a risk of “escape,” escorted Baldoni’s group to the basement of the building.

‘There, they were confined to a makeshift holding area surrounded by concession stand stock, with only foldout tables and chairs arranged in a square.’

In addition to not reading the book before filming started, the lawsuit claims she initially pushed back on having to read it at all.

Previously, Baldoni told People that ‘there wasn’t a part of this production that [Lively] didn’t touch and have influence on’ (seen in February 2025) 

‘Everything she put her hands on and her mind to, she made better,’ he praised in an interview, released months before she filed her lawsuit; pictured in August 2024

And despite the novel’s dark subject matter, Lively allegedly failed to take it seriously during the promotional campaign – even naming a cocktail after the abusive lead male character.

Read More Relive the most EXPLOSIVE on-set feuds as Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s legal battle continues

This, the filing says, is evidence of the ‘insensitivity’ that sparked an ‘organic backlash to the actress last summer.

Lively’s Sєxual harᴀssment claims first appeared in December in a New York Times story that included texts sent between his publicists that they now say were cherrypicked and stripped of context to make it appear Baldoni was orchestrating a ‘smear campaign’ against the actress.

But the actor says it was Lively who was the real orchestrator of a negative publicity campaign – alleging that she had been working with her own publicist Leslie Sloane and the New York Times for months before the article was published.

Baldoni is already suing the outlet for $250 million for libel and defamation, saying in his lawsuit that the story relied on Lively’s ‘self-serving narrative.’

Baldoni’s team earlier this year released a website which includes private communications such as text messages that were included in court filings detailing his interactions with the Hollywood power couple over the making of romantic drama. 

He claimed in court filings they made efforts made to usurp and undermine his input as the director of It Ends with Us.

Baldoni’s team previously said that the communications shared in court filings on the website – which already has fans talking – makes things clear about the motives of both parties, marking the latest chapter in the feud between the It Ends with Us headliners.

The motion picture earned $148 million in domestic box office, and $350 million globally

The website, which is live online at thelawsuitinfo.com, comes amid a spate of high-profile litigation between the collaborators on the film, which was a hit at the box office last August. 

The site went live days prior to the first hearing, ahead of a trial with a starting date of March 9, 2026.  

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Lively filed an 80-page civil rights complaint with the California Civil Rights Department against Baldoni December 20, before officially filing a federal lawsuit on December 31.

Lively in December sued Baldoni amid claims of Sєxual harᴀssment during production of the motion picture. In her lawsuit, the Gossip Girl alum accused Baldoni of Sєxually harᴀssing her in multiple ways – including body shaming her – and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation.  

Baldoni and his reps have said in response to the lawsuit that Lively twisted the meaning of text messages and mislead the public about their interactions while making the motion picture. 

In her lawsuit, Lively named a number of Baldoni’s collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio’s CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel Melissa Nathan and Jennifer Abel. 

‘I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted,’ Lively told The New York Times the day after she filed the complaint.

Baldoni subsequently sued the newspaper for $250 million in a defamation claim over a December 21 story тιтled ‘”We Can Bury Anyone”: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine;’ the newspaper has denied the allegations.

Lively in December sued Baldoni amid claims of Sєxual harᴀssment during production of the motion picture, which was a hit when it arrived in theaters in August 

Baldoni on January 16 filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, alleging defamation and extortion. Pictured at the IEWU premiere in August in NYC

Baldoni on January 16 filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, alleging defamation and extortion. 

Baldoni told the court the trio had concocted ‘false accusations of Sєxual harᴀssment’ against him. 

Since Lively’s complaint was filed, Baldoni has faced a number of professional consequences, including a lawsuit from a former publicist; and being dropped by the agency WME, which also reps Lively and Reynolds.

WME has denied claims that Lively and Reynolds leaned on them to release Baldoni from their client roster, according to Variety. 

Lawyers for both parties were in accordance with a plan to compound both federal cases filed into one moving forward. All parties to the litigations have denied the allegations against them. 

It Ends with Us, which also starred Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar and Kevin McKidd, arrived in theaters August 9 and was a hit with audiences. 

The film, adapted from the 2016 Colleen Hoover novel, earned $148 million in domestic box office, and $350 million globally, according to Box Office Mojo.

Lively broke out with the 2005 movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants opposite Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel and America Ferrera. That led to her high-profile role on the TV show Gossip Girl, which she starred on from 2007-2012, playing lead character Serena van der Woodsen. 

She has also appeared in movies such as 2010’s The Town, 2016’s The Shallows, 2018’s A Simple Favor and 2020’s The Rhythm Section.

Prior to It Ends with Us, Baldoni was best known for playing the role of Rafael Solano on the TV show Jane the Virgin from 2014–2019. He also has directed films including 2019’s Five Feet Apart and 2020’s Clouds, and penned the 2021 book Man Enough, which tackled misconceptions of contemporary masculinity.