Blake Lively may have been all smiles at the recent TIME100 Gala, but behind the scenes, her appearance at the star-studded event has triggered a wave of controversy.

The 37-year-old actress is currently at the center of a high-stakes legal firestorm. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know she filed a bombshell lawsuit against her “It Ends With Us” co-star and director Justin Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment and alleging that he launched a global smear campaign to discredit her.

Baldoni fired back with a massive $400 million countersuit, accusing Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, of pushing him out of the film and tanking his career.

Despite the legal chaos, Blake Lively was still named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, and insiders now claim they know exactly how that came to be.

Hollywood power agent Ari Emanuel, the CEO of WME which represents both Lively and Baldoni, has publicly backed Lively and admitted earlier this year to dropping Baldoni as a client because of the fallout.

Now, a new insider who spoke to Daily Mail claims that Emanuel may have played a role in securing her TIME100 nod.

Supporters, including civil rights icon Sherrilyn Ifill, point to Lively’s philanthropy as justification for the honor. The actress previously donated $200,000 and $1 million to civil rights causes in 2020 and 2021.

However, critics argue that her selection was more about damage control than influence.

“Some believe that Emanuel may well have pulled strings to get Lively honored by Time,” the insider claimed.

Her speech also made headlines.

Rather than address her civil rights work or speak out on race and discrimination, topics many expected given the context and her past donations, Lively instead recounted a vague and emotional story involving a past assault on her mother, tying it loosely to her own alleged harassment experience on the “It Ends With Us” set.

What happened next only added fuel to the fire.

According to the insider, her mother, Elaine McAlpin, was caught turning to her daughter post-speech and asking, “Should I cry?” while miming a tear with her finger.

Lively then reportedly responded by holding her hand and saying, “Just sit down.”

Viewers were quick to point out that while promoting “It Ends With Us,” a film about domestic violence, Lively made no mention of any family trauma. In fact, she publicly stated that she had no personal experience with domestic abuse.

“You embody resilience and courage, qualities that shine bright even on the darkest days,” Baldoni wrote in an open message last year. “In the tapestry of your life, each thread tells a story of endurance, strength and hope. Every step forward you take, no matter how small, is a declaration of your unyielding spirit and an inspiration to others.”

While the actor-director didn’t mention Lively or the lawsuit directly, his words carry extra weight given the context.

In the letter, Baldoni emphasized the importance of visibility and strength, especially for those who feel unseen.

“While I can never fully understand your pain and all you have endured, I want you to know that you are never alone in this fight,” he continued. “We are with you. You are not just surviving; you are thriving, and in your thriving, you inspire us all. May your journey forward be filled with moments of profound peace.”

He concluded, “And may you remember that as you fight for joy… you are liberating us all.”

“What I can say without going too into it is that this year has been full of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in my life,” Lively said. “And I see so many women around afraid to speak, especially right now, afraid to share their experiences, and fear is by design.”

She added, “It’s what keeps us silent. But I also acknowledge that many people don’t have the opportunity to speak. So I do feel fortunate that I’ve been able to, and it’s the women who have had the ability to use their voice, that’s kept me strong and helped me in my belief and my fight for the world to be safer for women and girls. It’s a pretty simple thing.”