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(NewsNation) — Kudos to Blake Lively’s PR team.
People were shocked this week when Time magazine included the beleaguered actress in its TIME100 “most influential people in the world” list, which, according to the magazine, “recognizes the leaders shaping the world today and defining its future.”
But why was Lively included? She is embroiled in a lawsuit with “It Ends With Us” costar, director and producer Justin Baldoni, and in the past few months has been revealed as an actress who is not kind to her co-stars.
Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds donated to NAACP in 2019
The magazine said it was because of a $1 million donation she made to the NAACP six years ago and included a statement from civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill, who claimed the actress 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,” Ifill said.
“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.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 06: (L-R) Hugh Jackman , Blake Lively, and Ryan Reynolds attend the “It Ends With Us” New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on August 06, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 22: (L-R) Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid and Hugh Jackman attend the Deadpool & Wolverine World Premiere at the David H. Koch Theater on July 22, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Disney) 
Actress Blake Lively attends the LACMA Art+Film Gala at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Los Angeles, California, on November 2, 2024. (Photo by Etienne LAURENT / AFP) 
FILE – Blake Lively appears at the screening for the film “It ‘Ends With Us'” in London on Aug. 8, 2024. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File) 
GRAPEVINE, TEXAS – JUNE 15: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Brandon Sklenar, Colleen Hoover, Isabela Ferrer and Blake Lively seen at a surprise screening of IT ENDS WITH US, in theaters August 9 from Columbia Pictures at AMC Grapevine Mills 24 on June 15, 2024 in Grapevine, Texas. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures) 
FILE – Blake Lively poses for photographers upon arrival at the UK Gala Screening for the film ‘It ‘Ends With Us’ on Thursday, Aug, 8, 2024 in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 08: Blake Lively attends the UK Gala Screening of “It Ends With Us” at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on August 08, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Lia Toby/Getty Images) 
FILE – Blake Lively, left, and Ryan Reynolds attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala on Monday, May 2, 2022, in New York. Parties are back, and they’ve brought with them the potential for some dress code chaos. White tie, black tie, black tie creative/festive, semi-formal. Pre-pandemic guidelines for attire in an exhausted world more used to sweats and sneakers may take some extra re-entry energy. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Which is all fine and well — except the donation was (again) six years ago. To (mis)quote Janet Jackson, “What have you done for (anyone) lately?”
I’ve been in this business a long time (30 years), and I’ve seen how these “awards” work. There is massive jockeying behind the scenes by PR, agents and lawyers to get their clients on a list that will whitewash a blemished reputation.
So good job, Leslie Sloan, WME and the lawyers — I applaud your jockeying. Forget the fact that many others gave much more six, five, four or even one year ago to other organizations. You somehow pulled the strings, and Time magazine answered. I await their “exclusive” with Lively in the next year with bated breath. Can’t wait to see what she wears at the awards.