Tensions flared on the red carpet at the Time100 Gala in New York City Thursday night as Megyn Kelly sharply criticized Blake Lively's inclusion on the magazine's 2025 list of the most influential people, calling it "a ridiculous joke" and accusing the actress of launching "a fake MeToo allegation" against It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni.
"She shouldn't be here," Kelly told the Daily Mail. "It's a ridiculous joke. She has no influence over anything." Kelly, who was also honored on the Time100 list, claimed Lively's allegations against Baldoni had "fallen apart," adding, "So for her to be honored for doing that, to try to ruin a man over absolutely nothing, is a scandal."
The controversy stems from Lively's ongoing legal feud with Baldoni, in which she has accused him of sexual harassment on set. Baldoni and his supporters have alleged that Lively collaborated with his former publicist to leak private messages and misrepresent their interactions. In the latest legal filings, Baldoni's attorneys accused former publicist Stephanie Jones of breaching confidentiality agreements and leaking messages, while Jones' legal team dismissed the claims as "distraction and noise."
Kelly, who rose to national prominence after publicly challenging Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes over sexual misconduct, said Time's decision to honor Lively was "very wrong" and suggested the magazine was chasing star power rather than substance. "Obviously, [Time is] looking for big stars to come here and generate pages on their magazines," Kelly said.
Blake Lively, 37, arrived at the gala wearing a shimmering red off-the-shoulder gown, accompanied by her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and her mother, Elaine Lively. In her speech during the event, Lively appeared to allude to her personal struggles, saying it was "surreal and deeply significant" to be recognized "in a time where the most valuable currency seems to be anger."
"I have so much to say about the last two years of my life," Lively said, before noting that the gala was "not the forum" for those remarks. Instead, she spoke about the importance of influence and thanked her husband and her mother, calling Elaine Lively a "survivor of the worst crime someone can commit against a woman."
Meanwhile, social media erupted with criticism over Lively's inclusion. "Blake Lively has been named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2025... for a donation she made to the NAACP... in 2019. Can't make this stuff up," one user posted. Others speculated whether her husband's fame played a role in her selection, with one commenter saying, "Did her husband pay for this?"
Time CEO Jessica Sibley struggled to justify the choice during interviews at the event, saying simply, "I think she's having a great year," and emphasizing the magazine's mission to be "the humanities guide to trust in journalism."
Lively was recognized under Time's "titans" category, alongside figures such as Serena Williams, Joe Rogan, and Mark Zuckerberg. Civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill, who wrote Lively's tribute, praised the actress for her philanthropy and commitment to civil rights causes, noting, "I admired immediately her curiosity, and her sincere work to understand the conditions that shape this country."
The star-studded gala also featured appearances from Scarlett Johansson, Demi Moore, Serena Williams, Ed Sheeran, and Snoop Dogg, among others. Johansson, in a sleek black halter dress, and Moore, in a shimmering satin gown, joined a lineup of celebrities navigating a red carpet overshadowed by the drama between Kelly and Lively.
