Blake Lively made one of the most charged entrances at the 2026 Met Gala on Monday evening, walking the red carpet in high spirits just hours after announcing a settlement in her long-running legal dispute with Justin Baldoni.
The actress, 37, arrived in an archival Versace gown from 2006, which she described to Vogue on the carpet as inspired by “a sunrise and a sunset and watercolor.”
She carried a Judith Leiber bag featuring artwork created by her and Ryan Reynolds’ four children, a personal touch that drew immediate attention.
The timing was striking.
Earlier on Monday, Lively and Baldoni released a joint statement confirming their legal battle was over, with the trial that had been scheduled for 18 May now set aside.
“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,” both sides said in a statement obtained by Page Six.
“Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors, and all survivors, is a goal that we stand behind.”
The statement also acknowledged that “the process presented challenges” and that “concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”
Both parties said they remained committed to workplaces free of improprieties and expressed hope that the settlement would allow everyone involved to “move forward constructively and in peace.”
Lively had filed a lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation during the making of It Ends With Us, and claiming around $161 million in damages.
Baldoni denied the allegations and filed a $400 million countersuit, which was thrown out in June 2025.
A federal judge then dismissed ten of Lively’s thirteen claims in April, including the sexual harassment allegation, which was dismissed on technical legal grounds related to her status as an independent contractor rather than an employee.
The remaining claims of breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting retaliation were what the case had been heading to trial on.
