Blake Lively Attends 2026 Met Gala the Same Day She Settles Justin Baldoni Lawsuit

Earlier on Monday, May 4, it was announced that a settlement was reached in the ‘It Ends With Us’ legal battle

Blake Lively made her Met Gala comeback the same day it was announced she’d settled her It Ends With Us lawsuit.

The actress, 38, appeared at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s annual fashion event on Monday, May 4, where this year’s theme was “Costume Art.” She wore an archival Atelier Versace gown from spring 2006, and she accessorized with custom Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.

Earlier on Monday, Lively’s attorneys, Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson, announced in a joint statement with Justin Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios lawyers, Bryan Freedman and Ellyn Garofalo, that they’d reached a settlement in their legal battle. The case, which began in December 2024, was set to go to trial in two weeks, on May 18.

“The end product — the movie It Ends With Us — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life,” read the joint statement. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind.”

“We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard. We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments,” continued the statement. “It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”

Blake Lively at the Met Gala on May 4, 2026.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Lively last attended the Met Gala in 2022, when she served as a co-chair alongside her husband Ryan Reynolds. The event’s theme was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” serving as a part two to 2021’s “A Lexicon of Fashion,” with a dress code of “Gilded Glamour.”

For her 10th Met Gala appearance, Lively wore an Atelier Versace gown, which featured a reversible train. After first arriving with Reynolds, who wore velvet tuxedo and white bow tie, Lively had a quick fashion performance halfway up the Met steps when she flipped the train, revealing an aqua side that cascaded down behind her.,

Blake Lively at the 2022 Met Gala.Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty

The actress told LaLa Anthony during the Vogue livestream at the time that the color choices were to represent the patina aging that copper undergoes over time.

“I thought instead of looking to fashion to influence the dress, I looked to New York City architecture and the classic buildings,” she also told reporters on the red carpet, adding that she worked closely with jeweler Lorraine Schwartz to help tell her Met style story.

“The draping [represents] the Statue of Liberty, plus the crown which has seven tiers, the Statue Liberty has seven rays representing the sun’s rays and then also the seven seas and continents which represents welcomeness, inclusivity, and freedom,” she continued. “I sound like a Wikipedia page. — she has 25 windows so Lorraine put 25 stones at the bottom, so they’re all New York City references.”