Blake Lively has expressed gratitude for her enduring friendship with fellow actress America Ferrera as she reflected on their deep bond, thanking her for the companionship and cherished memories they have shared over the years.

The Gossip Girl alum penned the tribute for TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2024 essays, to pay homage to her longtime friend and former Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants costar, Ferrera.

In an essay, she noted, “[F]or everyone who knows America as a person, we watched the world simply discover America. Our friend, our role model, our ally, our sister as she soared like only she does.”

The It Ends With Us star continued, “That’s how she lives. How she speaks. How she challenges, and comforts. How she hurts, and heals. How she flies, and falls. How she loathes, and how she loves."

She  also spoke about 20 years of friendship with The Sisterhood actress.

Lively added, “I've known America for 20 years exactly," continuing, "Since I was 16 years old, that girl, and now woman, has been the example of what a friend is. What an artist is. What a human is. And I thank her. For sharing her life with me, and her talent with us all."

She concluded the tribute, “God blessed America, but really, we are the blessed ones to live in the same time as her and her imprint on our world.”