Blake Lively honors mother’s survival story during Time100 Gala with powerful tribute to female resilience

Blake Lively shares her mother’s survival of a life-threatening attack in an emotional Time100 Gala speech.

Blake Lively delivered a moving tribute to her mother, Willie Elain McAlpin, during her speech at the Time100 Gala on Thursday evening. Speaking at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, Lively revealed that her mother survived a violent attack by a work acquaintance before Lively was born—a traumatic event that has shaped both their lives.

Introducing her mother to the audience, Lively recalled McAlpin’s enduring optimism and shared the harrowing experience of the attempted attack. “My mom never got justice… she credits her survival to hearing another woman’s story on the radio, who openly shared her own escape,” Lively said. The actress emphasized that hearing another woman speak out helped her mother feel less alone, ultimately saving her life.

“I am alive… because that woman not only survived, but she told others how,” Lively continued, underscoring the power of shared experiences among women. She described the strength and resilience she sees in her mother as a reflection of the broader capability of women to endure and thrive through adversity.

Lively, joined by her husband Ryan Reynolds, was among the honorees at this year’s Time100 Gala. While the evening largely focused on celebration, Lively subtly acknowledged ongoing personal challenges, referencing without elaboration her legal battle with actor-director Justin Baldoni and others involved in the production of It Ends With Us. She noted, “Tonight is not the forum,” but added, “I know the superpower of female triumph… even when we are in sharp pain.”

Lively concluded her speech with a phrase her mother often repeats: “Life’s just a bowl of cherries.”