Blake Lively on TIME's 100 Most Influential People (2025)

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Blake Lively
by Sherrilyn Ifill, Civil Rights Lawyer





I don’t know the Blake Lively of the red carpet. Or the Met Gala. I never watched "Gossip Girl". 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. I had been getting a few of these calls, as our work fighting against voter suppression and police brutality was receiving national attention.



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. I 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. Her 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.

https://time.com/collections/100-mos.../blake-lively/