Blake Lively’s presence at the TIME100 all-star gala in New York City stirred a strong reaction from Megyn Kelly. The actress had recently been controversially named on the publication’s Most Influential People list.
The 37-year-old Another Simple Favor actress was joined by her husband Ryan Reynolds, 48, at the event, though he wasn’t included on the elite list.
During an interview with DailyMail.com at the event, the 54-year-old conservative journalist expressed her displeasure with Blake and criticized her legal actions against Justin Baldoni. Kelly was particularly passionate about her views.
According to Megyn, Blake — who left readers outraged over her TIME100 cover — ‘shouldn’t be here.’
Kelly further intensified her criticism of the Gossip Girl star, accusing her of mishandling Me Too allegations in the context of her lawsuit against Justin for alleged sexual harassment, a claim he has denied.
Baldoni later followed up by launching a $400 million defamation lawsuit against Lively, her publicist and her husband Ryan — which all have denied as well — and he also filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against the New York Times for its reporting on her allegations.
‘It’s a ridiculous joke. She shouldn’t be here,’ she said of Blake.
‘I think [Blake has] launched a fake Me Too allegation against [Justin], and she’s lived to regret doing it, because virtually every allegation she has made has fallen apart,’ Megyn added.
‘So for her to be honored for doing that, to try to ruin a man over absolutely nothing, is a scandal.’
The subject is familiar turf for Megyn, as she reportedly told investigators that she had been sexually harassed by her former Fox News boss Roger Ailes.
Her experiences and those of other high-profile female anchors and reports at Fox were later dramatized in the 2019 film Bombshell, in which Charlize Theron played Megyn with the aid of extensive facial prosthetics.
The Megyn Kelly show host, who showcased her svelte figure in a red sleeveless dress, joked that she hoped to get a selfie with Blake and Meghan Markle ‘in the distance’ because they had provided her with ‘so many hours of content.’
She said TIME was just trying to generate publicity for the magazine by putting ‘big stars’ on the cover, but it was ‘very wrong’ to lend its legitimacy to the controversial star.
Megyn joked to DailyMail.com that she wouldn’t be making an effort to avoid Blake or Ryan, but she had a ‘feeling she’s going to be avoid me.’
As for the rumors of a feud between Blake and her Another Simple Favor costar Anna Kendrick, the conservative host was less concerned, as it was Blake’s alleged attempts to ‘bastardize Me Too allegations against people who don’t deserve it’ that got her blood boiling.
According to the lawyer, thoroughly investigating the Gossip Girl star’s claims was necessary to prevent other future accusers from being tarnished.
She added that even though Blake and Ryan have ‘very powerful PR people and lawyers,’ it’s important to be ‘clear-eyed’ and to ‘call out’ claims when they aren’t legitimate.
‘Otherwise, no one who has actually experienced these things is going to be believed,’ Megyn declared.
Blake arrived at the gala in a shimmering red off-the-shoulder gown that highlighted her cleavage and featured a modest train trailing behind her.
She added some extra color to the look with multiple rings and bracelets decorated with jade, and she wore her long blond hair in thick waves that cascaded elegantly down her back.
Ryan favored classic men’s style with a black tuxedo and bow tie.
The Deadpool star posed for several photos together with his wife, but photographers at the event also wanted to snap some solo pictures of him.
In one hilarious moment, photographers farther along the line begged him to move over to another backdrop by chanting his first name repeatedly and shouting that the other part of the backdrop was ‘the Canada of the map,’ a reference to his birth country, though he also gained American citizenship in 2018.
Blake even got in on the fun and clapped along with the photographers to get her husband to play along.
Joining the A-list couple on the red carpet was Blake’s mother, Elaine Lively.
She looked elegant in a flapper-inspired black dress with chevrons of black sequins, along with a sheer black section covering her chest and sleeves.
In one awkward moment, TIME CEO Jessica Sibley struggled to explain why Blake had been included on the TIME100 list despite the controversy that has overwhelmed her and her film projects amid her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni.
‘I think she’s having a great year,’ she said bizarrely.
She said the magazine’s goal was to be ‘the humanities guide to trust in journalism,’ adding that the magazine was ‘excited to tell her story.’
Among the stunning A-listers at the event was Scarlett Johansson, who put on a busty display in a sleek black sleeveless halter dress that emphasized her hourglass figure.
The Avengers: Endgame star wore a rigid gold necklace with a small chain dangling down, and her dress featured a gold bar securing its ruched midriff.
Scarlett — who didn’t appear to be joined by her husband, SNL writer and Weekend Update host Colin Jost — added a splash of color with her scarlet nail polish.
She was attending the gala amid concerns that her major new career move could be overshadowed by Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ ongoing drama, as Ryan is her ex-husband.
Demi Moore, 62, looked as glamorous as ever when she hit the red carpet. The Substance star arrived in a shimmering cream-colored satin dress with a matching sport coat draped over her shoulders.
The Oscar nominee’s bodice was covered in delicate ruching, and her long, rippling skirt reached down to the ground.
She wore her raven locks parted down the middle, and she added some sparkle with long, dangling diamond earrings.
Comedian and in-demand awards-show host Nikki Glaser contrasted the somber all-black ensembles with a beige off-the-shoulder dress with a striking black belt tied just below her bust.
She accessorized with a small black clutch and wore pointed black heels.
She and Ed Sheeran were on the same page when it came to lightening up the event with their outfits. He opted for a striking pale pink suit that he playfully dressed down with a white T-shirt.
The pop star complemented his suit with white Nike’s featuring pink Swoosh logos.
Nicole Scherzinger set temperatures soaring in a low-cut black sequined gown with satin strips showcasing her cleavage.
Severance star Adam Scott opted for classic elegance with a well-tailored double-breasted black tuxedo that he wore open. He complemented the jacket’s wide, peaked lapels by wearing a particularly large black satin bow tie.
Joining the Parks And Recreation star was his wife Naomi Scott, who wore a similarly tasteful low-cut black dress with a rippling skirt.
Adrien Brody contrasted Adam’s look with a more modern double-breasted suit with particularly skinny lapels and a single button in the shape of a pink flower.
The two-time Oscar winner and star of The Brutalist was joined by his partner Georgina Chapman.
The ex-wife of Harvey Weinstein shimmered in a white satin dress with contrasting ruffled black sleeves and a black cape trailing behind her.
Serena Williams wore an unusual black off-the-shoulder dress that looked as if it had been shredded.
It featured slim horizontal cutouts over her midriff and legs, and she paired it with rumpled sheer black gloves and pointy black heels strapped around her ankles
Gayle King cut an elegant figure in a sparkling key lime green dress with a plunging neckline. She accessorized with a shimmer silver clutch.
Padma Lakshmi stood out in a long, shimmering silver dress. The raven-haired beauty carried a chunky charcoal clutch and wore light open-toe heels.
The retired Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman flaunted her fit figure in a red halter-style gown.
The gold medalist and anti-sexual abuse activist wore a single-shoulder sleeveless design with matching red open-toe heels.
The longtime ABC News journalists David Muir and Diane Sawyer posed together on the red carpet.
David wore a black tux with a full chest and a pleated shirt, while Diane rocked a cream-colored suit with gold bars clipped onto her lapels.
Another journalist, CNN anchor Abby Phillip was a vision in a white dress. She accessorized the long-sleeve look with a slim silver clutch.
Diego Luna, the star of the acclaimed Star Wars series Andor, wore an intriguing black double-breasted with an unusually small patch of shirt showing.
He paired it with a black shirt and stuck to the standard bow tie.
Dax Shepard and The Good Place star Kristen Bell both beamed ear to ear. The podcast star wore a tight black tux with a casual dotted necktie, while his wife Kristen sizzled in a red off-the-shoulder dress.
