Blake Lively made a striking return to the Met Gala on Monday evening, just hours after announcing a settlement in her legal dispute with Justin Baldoni. The actress walked the red carpet in an archival 2006 Atelier Versace gown, a multi-coloured layered pastel design inspired by Venetian Rococo paintings and Baroque churches. Her appearance marked her first at the prestigious event in four years, for the 2026 edition themed 'Costume Art'.
The settlement brought an end to a lengthy legal battle that began in 2024, when Lively accused Baldoni, her director and co-star on the film 'It Ends With Us', of sexual harassment and alleged that he retaliated with a digital smear campaign. Baldoni countersued for defamation in federal court and also targeted The New York Times for publishing messages with his publicists that detailed the smear campaign. Both of his cases were dismissed early on.
Last month, Judge Lewis Liman threw out 10 of Lively's 13 civil claims, including all harassment allegations, leaving only three claims—retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of contract—to be decided by a jury. However, the parties reached a settlement before trial.
In a joint statement released on Monday, Lively and Baldoni said: '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. 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. 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.'
