Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez Stefanie Keenan/The Hollywood Reporter/Getty Images; Phillip Faraone/The Hollywood Reporter/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment event, presented by Lifetime, returned on Wednesday for its yearly celebration of the ladies leading Hollywood on screen, on set and from the exec suites. This year, the star-studded event - which coincided with the publication of THR's annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 - honored Gwyneth Paltrow with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, given to a woman who is a pioneer in her field. Jennifer Lopez was also recognized with the Equity in Entertainment Award, honoring her work amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities in the entertainment industry. (See photos of the event here.) Related Stories News The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program Celebrates 15 Years of Impact Movies Gwyneth Paltrow Gets Emotional Saying the Industry Has "Welcomed Me Back" at THR Women in Entertainment Gala Inside the breakfast - once again taking place at the Beverly Hills Hotel - Rachel Sennott kicked off the program, joking, "You know you've made it as a woman in Hollywood when one of three things happen: when people call every photoshoot you do 'a humiliation ritual,' when someone uses A.I. to make a video of you frenching the sloth with Zootopia or when you get asked to speak at a brunch." Jimmy Kimmel then made an appearance to introduce a keynote address from his wife, Molly McNearney, who also serves as co-head writer and executive producer on his late night show, on the topic of free speech - which, he deadpanned, "is interesting because no one - not the FCC, not ABC standards and practices, not even President Trump himself - has taken more action to infringe upon, and forcibly limit, my freedom of speech" than his partner. On a more serious note, Kimmel celebrated McNearney as "kind, loving, funny and cares very deeply about this country," referring to her as "the speaker of our house." McNearney took over the mic and teased back, "I feel like maybe we gave him a little too much freedom of speech. Can we take like 20 percent back?" Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney Michael Kovac/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images Getting into the heart of her speech, she spoke about Jimmy Kimmel Live being suspended for the host's comments following the Charlie Kirk shooting, saying, "I've watched Jimmy and my friends and my coworkers hold our leaders accountable without fear night after night. I watched other late night shows and journalists and activists and politicians and civilians in the street stick their neck out there for all of us. I watched many of you rally around truth and justice and integrity. And when our freedom of speech was on the line, I observed millions of people across the aisle - some in this very room - using their voices to protect ours. "I cannot emphasize enough how important this is. We must not be afraid to speak up and speak out, to protect this country and all the people in it," McNeary continued, quipping with a nod to Lopez sitting in front of her, "Even if what we're wearing is dumb and J.

Lo. looks better than any of us ever will." She added, "My husband and my workplace, my livelihood and my friends, have been threatened multiple times by the president of the United States and the propaganda machine that feasts on deliberately misinterpreting our words and making comedy the enemy. And I'm one of the lucky ones. We got knocked down, and with all of you, you helped us get back up. And I can't thank you all enough." THR editor-in-chief Maer Roshan and THR executive vp and publisher Lori O'Connor took the stage to give welcome remarks, followed by comments from YouTube chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe. The group then brought up Goldie Hawn and Sarah Paulson, who were on hand for a special tribute to the late Diane Keaton. Sarah Paulson and Goldie Hawn Phillip Faraone/The Hollywood Reporter/Getty Images; Stefanie Keenan/The Hollywood Reporter/Getty Images Hawn, who starred alongside Keaton in The First Wives Club, emotionally noted how the icon, who died in October, lived in the house down the street from her, and when Hawn "went over to my backyard to my rose garden, I just looked down - she can't be gone. She just cannot be gone. No one like that should ever die. She just brought so much joy, so much life, so much exuberance. She was like lightning in a bottle." Hawn added that she believes Keaton is now a star, as she thinks "stars are really people who died a long time ago that did something really good for the world. I think maybe it's where she is right now." Paulson then took over and admitted she was reluctant to "stand inside my grief" to