Critics Choice Awards: Why Chelsea Handler Thanked Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni for the Distraction

At the 2025 Critics Choice Awards, Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's legal battle got a shout-out from host Chelsea Handler during her monologue.

By Natalie Finn, Sabba Rahbar Feb 08, 2025 12:31 AM
| Updated Feb 08, 2025 4:22 AM
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Watch: Critics Choice Awards: Why Chelsea Handler Thanked Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni for the Distraction

Chelsea Handler knows it's been a long year already and it's only February.

So, hosting the Critics Choice Awards for the third time, she wanted to focus on what there is to be grateful for.

"It's important in times like these to have a distraction," the comedian said in her opening monologue. "And that's why I want to personally extend my gratitude to Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. Thank you for providing us with that distraction."

Handler was of course referring to the ongoing legal battle between the It Ends With Us costars. Which, as the emcee also insinuated, shows no signs of ending anytime soon (though one can always hope). 

"I'm grateful, I think we're all grateful—and I think we're good!" Handler continued. "I think everybody in this room, no matter whose side you're on, we can all agree to accept that there's probably not going to be a sequel. It ends with us, guys." (See all the fashion on everyone who was in the room for the 2025 Critics Choice Awards.)

The 49-year-old also gave herself a self-deprecating shout-out, noting that her three-year run with the ceremony made it her "second-longest relationship."

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And her first-longest, she noted, was with the network televising the Critics Choice Awards this year, marking her return to E! after her seven-year run hosting Chelsea Lately ended.

"I was the only woman hosting a late night show and now, 11 years later, look how far we've come," she quipped. "In 2025, the easiest way to get a late night talk show as a woman is to have the creators of Hacks write a fictional story about it."

Getty Images for Critics Choice

Hacks, incidentally, had four nominations headed into the night, including Best Comedy Series.

But there was one big difference as she went about her hosting duties this time: She didn't poke fun at ex-boyfriend Jo Koy, which she did at last year's show by roasting his performance as host of the 2024 Golden Globes. For his part, Jo blamed his writers for some of his more groan-worthy jokes.

"Listen, I would've done that had anybody thrown their writers under a bus," she told Parade in an interview published Jan. 3. "I know more than anybody how valuable writers are. My whole life and my whole career is because I have great writers."

So, Handler's winning, but see everyone who's picking up trophies at the 2025 Critics Choice Awards: 

Best Picture

A Complete Unknown

WINNER: Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

The Substance

Wicked

Best Actor - Film

WINNER: Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig – Queer

Colman Domingo – Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

Hugh Grant – Heretic

Best Actress - Film

Cynthia Erivo – Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez

Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths

Angelina Jolie – Maria

Mikey Madison – Anora

WINNER: Demi Moore – The Substance

Best Supporting Actor - Film

Yura Borisov – Anora

WINNER: Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain

Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing

Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

Best Supporting Actress - Film

Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys

Ariana Grande – Wicked

Margaret Qualley – The Substance

Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

WINNER: Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

Best Comedy Film

TIED WINNERS: A Real Pain

TIED WINNERS: Deadpool & Wolverine

Hit Man

My Old Ass

Saturday Night

Thelma

Best Young Actor/Actress

Alyla Browne – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Elliott Heffernan – Blitz

WINNER: Maisy Stella – My Old Ass

Izaac Wang – Didi

Alisha Weir – Abigail

Zoe Ziegler – Janet Planet

Best Acting Ensemble

Anora

WINNER: Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Saturday Night

Sing Sing

Wicked

Best Song

“Beautiful That Way” – The Last Showgirl – Miley Cyrus

“Compress / Repress” – Challengers – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

WINNER: “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez – Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Camille

“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper – Kristen Wiig

“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot – Maren Morris

“Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez – Selena Gomez

Best Drama Series

The Day of the Jackal (Peacock)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

Evil (Paramount+)

Industry (HBO | Max)

Interview with the Vampire (AMC)

The Old Man (FX)

WINNER: Shogun (FX / Hulu)

Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Jeff Bridges – The Old Man (FX)

Ncuti Gatwa – Doctor Who (Disney+)

Eddie Redmayne – The Day of the Jackal (Peacock)

WINNER: Hiroyuki Sanada – Shogun (FX / Hulu)

Rufus Sewell – The Diplomat (Netflix)

Antony Starr – The Boys (Prime Video)

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Caitriona Balfe – Outlander (Starz)

WINNER: Kathy Bates – Matlock (CBS)

Shanola Hampton – Found (NBC)

Keira Knightley – Black Doves (Netflix)

Keri Russell – The Diplomat (Netflix)

Anna Sawai – Shogun (FX / Hulu) 

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

WINNER: Tadanobu Asano – Shogun (FX / Hulu)

Michael Emerson – Evil (Paramount+)

Mark-Paul Gosselaar – Found (NBC)

Takehiro Hira – Shogun (FX / Hulu)

John Lithgow – The Old Man (FX)

Sam Reid – Interview with the Vampire (AMC)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

WINNER: Moeka Hoshi – Shogun (FX / Hulu)

Allison Janney – The Diplomat (Netflix)

Nicole Kidman – Special Ops: Lioness (Paramount+)

Skye P. Marshall – Matlock (CBS)

Anna Sawai – Pachinko (Apple TV+)

Fiona Shaw – Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)

Best Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

English Teacher (FX)

WINNER: Hacks (HBO | Max)

Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Somebody Somewhere (HBO | Max)

St. Denis Medical (NBC)

What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Brian Jordan Alvarez – English Teacher (FX)

WINNER: Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

David Alan Grier – St. Denis Medical (NBC)

Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Kayvan Novak – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Natasia Demetriou – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Bridget Everett – Somebody Somewhere (HBO | Max)

WINNER: Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO | Max)

Kristen Wiig – Palm Royale (Apple TV+) 

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Paul W. Downs – Hacks (HBO | Max)

Asher Grodman – Ghosts (CBS)

Harvey Guillén – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Brandon Scott Jones – Ghosts (CBS)

WINNER: Michael Urie – Shrinking (Apple TV+)

Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Liza Colón-Zayas – The Bear (FX / Hulu)

WINNER: Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO | Max)

Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Stephanie Koenig – English Teacher (FX)

Patti LuPone – Agatha All Along (Disney+)

Annie Potts – Young Sheldon (CBS)

Best Limited Series

WINNER: Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Disclaimer (Apple TV+)

Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)

Mr Bates vs the Post Office (PBS)

The Penguin (HBO | Max)

Ripley (Netflix)

Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made For Television

WINNER: Colin Farrell – The Penguin (HBO | Max)

Richard Gadd – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Tom Hollander – FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)

Kevin Kline – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)

Ewan McGregor – A Gentleman in Moscow (Paramount+)

Andrew Scott – Ripley (Netflix) 

Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

Cate Blanchett – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)

Jodie Foster – True Detective: Night Country (HBO | Max)

Jessica Lange – The Great Lillian Hall (HBO | Max)

WINNER: Cristin Milioti – The Penguin (HBO | Max)

Phoebe-Rae Taylor – Out of My Mind (Disney+)

Naomi Watts – FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

Robert Downey Jr. – The Sympathizer (HBO | Max)

Hugh Grant – The Regime (HBO | Max)

Ron Cephas Jones – Genius: MLK/X (National Geographic)

Logan Lerman – We Were the Lucky Ones (Hulu)

WINNER: Liev Schreiber – The Perfect Couple (Netflix)

Treat Williams – FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made For Television

Dakota Fanning – Ripley (Netflix)

Leila George – Disclaimer (Apple TV+)

Betty Gilpin – Three Women (Starz)

WINNER: Jessica Gunning – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Deirdre O'Connell – The Penguin (HBO | Max)

Kali Reis – True Detective: Night Country (HBO | Max)

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