Who is Sherrilyn Ifill? Melanie King calls out lawyer's "abhorrent blurb" on Blake Lively in TIME's 100 Most Influential list

Melanie King called out Sherrilyn Ifill for nominating Blake Lively as a “Titan” on TIME's 100 Most Influential People list on April 16, 2025. On April 17, 2025, King took to her official X to share a post:

"This is the most egregious PR stunt Blake Lively has ever done. It's so offensive I thought it was satire. TIME Magazine said f-ck it and named Blake Lively one of the most influential of 2025 in the “Titan” category as a CIVIL RIGHTS CHAMPION," she wrote.

King further explained that the “The Titans category” was for “people" who are "leaders in their field" or have "made a transformative impact on the world.”

However, she said Blake Lively was not worthy of the title because all she did was donate “$200k to the NAACP" after receiving backlash for their "plantation wedding in 2012".

"She and Ryan Reynolds donated $200k to the NAACP in 2020 after receiving backlash for years over their plantation wedding in 2012. Now, somehow, in 2025 that earned her this spot", Melanie King said.

---

Sherrilyn Ifill was the seventh President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) from 2013 to 2022. She is the second woman to ever lead LDF. As per her April 16, 2025 citation, she didn’t choose Lively for the list because of her “red carpet” appearances or “Gossip Girl” stint, but because of Lively’s philanthropic work:

"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”, she said.

Melanie King criticised Ifill's nomination, stating how the couple’s record reflected performative gestures rather than substantial engagement, citing a series of controversies including blackface, racially insensitive marketing, and glorification of antebellum aesthetics.

"The lady who wrote the abhorrent blurb about Blake should be ashamed of herself for holding water for Plantation KKKhaleesi", she added.

---

Sherrilyn Ifill explains her choice for selecting Blake Lively as a "Titan" in the TIME's 100 Most Influential People Category

"It Ends With Us" New York Premiere - Source: Getty

In the TIMES 100 Most Influential People list published on April 16, 2025, civil rights lawyer and scholar Sherrilyn Ifill penned a citation explaining her choice of actress and entrepreneur Blake Lively as a “Titan.”

Sherrilyn Ifill on Blake Lively for her TIMES 100 Most Influential People: Image via Instagram/@Blakelively

Ifill shared that her selection was not based on a celebrity, but on their interest in "fighting against voter suppression and police brutality".

"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," she wrote.

This initial curiosity led Ifill to discover a deeper quality in Lively—an earnest desire to learn and contribute meaningfully.

Ifill recalled an “early conversation” with Lively in which the actress expressed frustration over the limited history education she received.

"So much of our nation’s history was not part of the instruction she had received as a student", Ifill explained.

But it was Lively’s response to that realization that truly resonated.

"Her commitment to filling those gaps—and becoming the most fully informed and prepared citizen—is what I appreciate most about her", she added.

Ifill also added that Lively was someone who transcended her Hollywood image because in real life the actress was a "serious person", and "risk taker", who was also:

"Committed to moving this country forward. For her children. And for mine".

At present, Blake Lively is busy with the promotional events of her upcoming movie, Another Simple Favour, scheduled for global release on May 1, 2025, on Amazon Prime.