Blake Lively makes shocking Met Gala return hours after settling Justin Baldoni lawsuit

Blake Lively turned heads in her first appearance at the Met Gala in four years, just hours after settling her years-long legal battle with actor Justin Baldoni out of court. 

The 38-year-old looked incredible in an archival Atelier Versace gown from 2006, featuring a halter neck, a structured bodice and a dramatic tulle skirt in pastel colors with a long, flowing train. 

She accessorized with custom Lorraine Schwartz jewelry and wore her hair in bombshell waves down her back. Blake’s custom Judith Leiber bag featured artwork from each of her four children with Ryan Reynolds, including James, 11, Inez, nine, Betty, six, and Olin, three. 

“We were trying to find a piece of famous, iconic art to put on and make it look like it was in a frame. And then I said, ‘Would you, actually, if you’re gonna make it custom, would you do my kids?'” the Gossip Girl actress told Vogue. 

“My kids each painted a watercolor painting. Each of my four kids did this, so I have them with me, because I’m shy too, so I just like to have the kids with me. Isn’t that special?”

“I probably could have fit them under my dress, to be honest. I should have snuck them under there,” she joked, adding that the gown looked like a “sunrise and sunset watercolor”. 

© Getty Images for The Met Museum/

Blake’s last appearance at fashion’s night of nights was in 2022, when she co-chaired the event with the theme of An Anthology of Fashion. The mother of four’s incredible Met Gala looks always seem to match the carpet that year, from the colors down to the design. “This has become a thing,” she told Vogue in 2022. “I did an Instagram post where I said, ‘When the carpet matches the Blakes instead of the drapes.'”

See another of Blake’s major fashion moments below…

“It’s just been a crazy thing every year where I match the carpet,” she continued. “This year, I’m actually hosting, and I went to Anna [Wintour] beforehand, and I said, ‘Anna, there’s a lot of pressure. I really need to match the carpet this year because we’ve set a precedent.'” 

Blake’s arrival at the Met Museum on Monday night came just hours after she reached a settlement with her It Ends With Us co-star, Justin Baldoni. The pair had been locked in a messy legal battle since December 2024, when Blake claimed that Justin had embarked on a smear campaign against her after the film wrapped. 

© WireImage

Justin and his team filed a countersuit accusing Blake and her husband, Ryan, of defamation. Their lawyers released a joint statement on Monday announcing that they had reached a settlement two weeks before the case was set to go to trial. 

© Getty Images for The Met Museum/

“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,” the statement read. “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.”