Blake Lively's TIME100 Speech About Her Mom's Assault Sparks Backlash Amid Justin Baldoni Legal War

Blake Lively's emotional TIME100 Gala speech, where she shared her mother's assault survival story, has come under scrutiny.

Critics are accusing the actress of using personal trauma for publicity amid her legal feud with her "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni.

Some individuals took to social media to point out Blake Lively's silence on domestic violence while promoting the movie, noting that she seemingly avoided discussing the topic before her lawsuit.

Lively has come under fire following her speech at the TIME100 Gala, where critics accused her of using deeply personal family history for publicity.

The actress was honored as one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential figures and delivered a heartfelt speech at the prestigious TIME100 Gala held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC on Thursday.

During her address, Lively chose to highlight her mother's painful past, revealing that a colleague had once assaulted the 77-year-old.

"I have so much to say about the last two years of my life, but tonight is not the forum," she began, per the Daily Mail. Lively then spoke about "the feeling of being a woman who has a voice today."

She credited her mother, Willie Elaine McAlpin, for having "influenced most," noting that her strength helped shape her into the woman she is today.

Lively then explained that her mom endured a horrific act of violence that nearly cost her life, and described the incident as "the worst crime someone can commit against a woman."

She shared: "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."

In an emotional moment, Lively recalled how her mother's survival was thanks to another woman who, years earlier, had bravely shared her own story on the radio.

"The woman painfully and graphically shared how she escaped. And because of hearing that woman speak about her experience instead of shutting down in fear and unfair shame, my mom is alive today," Lively said. "She was saved by a woman whose name she'll never know."

The "Gossip Girl" alum reflected on the quiet solidarity between women, calling it a "pact that privately we must show others how to survive, literally or spiritually."

She then made an observation about the harsh realities girls eventually face, contrasting them with childhood innocence.

"'We don't let our daughters know," she said. "But one day we break their hearts by letting them in on the secret that we kept from them as they pranced around in princess dresses that they are not and will likely never be safe at work, at home, in a parking lot in a medical office, online — in any space they inhabit physically, emotionally, professionally."

In her speech, Lively described the strength and resilience of women as a "superpower of female triumph."

"Never underestimate a woman's ability to endure pain," the actress added.

However, Lively's remarks, which quickly circulated on social media, drew mixed reactions, with many questioning the timing and intent behind the disclosure.

While some praised the actress for her vulnerability and tribute to her mother's strength, others accused her of using the moment for image rehabilitation, particularly in light of her ongoing legal dispute with her "It Ends With Us" director and co-star, Justin Baldoni.

Critics quickly pointed out what they saw as hypocrisy, with one writing: "Oh so now she is using her Mother's SA to be likable??? But in August, she didn't mention DV when promoting a movie about DV. Interesting."

Another wrote, "Blake Lively used her Time100 speech to reveal her mother is a rape survivor—an obvious PR move to align with SA victims. Yet, with that personal connection to trauma, she still couldn't figure out how to market a movie about DV. What's next for her, a Peace Nobel Prize?"

Others criticized her indirect reference to Baldoni, with a person saying: "Incredible how Blake Lively claims she's not going to speak on her legal mess with Justin Baldoni—yet still manages to stain his name by casually tying him to a speech about rape and shame!"

Before giving her speech at the event, Lively found herself being heavily criticized by Megyn Kelly over her sexual harassment suit against Baldoni.

Walking the red carpet, Kelly, who was also listed in the publication's elite list like Lively, voiced her opinion on the mother of four and her legal drama.

The journalist stated that it was a "ridiculous joke" that the actress received the honor, adding that she "shouldn't be here."

Kelly also suggested that the accusations Lively made in the sexual harassment suit filed against her "It Ends With Us" co-star were false and have unraveled since the case was filed in December.

The backlash comes as the ongoing legal saga between Lively and Baldoni took another unexpected turn this week.

On Thursday, 14 new allegations were filed, targeting Baldoni's former publicist, Stephanie Jones.

Baldoni, 41, through his production company Wayfarer and current publicist for "It Ends With Us," Jennifer Abel, launched claims that include breach of contract, defamation, fraud, and even violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

According to the filings, Jones is accused of accessing Abel's private communications without permission and conspiring with Lively in what Baldoni's team is calling an "abuse of process," allegedly using a fake lawsuit to manufacture a subpoena and conceal the fact that Jones may have leaked sensitive information to Lively.

Baldoni has since filed a $400 million defamation countersuit against Lively, her publicist, and husband Ryan Reynolds, all of whom deny the allegations, as well as a separate $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for its coverage of Lively's accusations.