Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni Settle 'It Ends With Us' Lawsuit; 2026 Met Gala Date Set

Actress Blake Lively attended the 2026 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 4, 2026, hours after she and her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni announced a settlement in their nearly two-year legal battle. Lively wore an archival Atelier Versace gown from Spring 2006, which she described on the red carpet as looking like a sunrise and a sunset.

Her look also incorporated artwork by her four children, whom she shares with husband Ryan Reynolds.

The settlement resolved Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, stemming from the 2024 filming of It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel where Lively played the lead character, Lily Bloom.

Lively had filed the lawsuit in December 2024, accusing Baldoni of harassment, sexual misconduct, and orchestrating a smear campaign against her after she raised complaints during production. Baldoni denied the accusations and filed a counter-suit in 2024.

He also initiated defamation lawsuits against Lively, Reynolds, their publicist, and The New York Times for publishing the allegations, but a judge dismissed Baldoni's defamation suit in June 2025. About one month before the settlement, a judge dismissed 10 of 13 claims in Lively's lawsuit, leaving three: breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation.

The same judge dismissed Baldoni's counter-suit.

The trial had been set for May 18, 2026, in New York, with Reynolds expected to testify. Evidence in the case included text messages between Lively and Taylor Swift about Baldoni. After the judge's dismissal of most claims, Lively's lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, stated that Lively had exposed the 'smear machine' in Hollywood.

The 2026 Met Gala theme was 'Costume Art,' aimed at celebrating fashion as an art form, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Met Costume Institute. Lively last attended the event as a co-chair in 2022, arriving in a rose gold Atelier Versace gown that transformed on the steps to reveal a light blue skirt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on May 2, 2022.

In prior years, Lively's Met Gala appearances featured distinctive designs aligned with each theme.

For the 2018 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination' event on May 7, 2018, in New York, she wore an Atelier Versace gown with a beaded ruby, gold, and emerald bodice, a burgundy skirt with intricate beading, and a halo-inspired headpiece.

At the 2017 'Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between' gala on May 1, 2017, in New York, Lively chose a gold Atelier Versace mermaid gown with blue ombre feathers on the train and draped gold beading on the bodice. For the 2016 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology' theme on May 2, 2016, in New York, she appeared in a light pink strapless Burberry gown with red floral details and a floor-length cape.

In 2014, for 'Charles James: Beyond Fashion' on May 5, 2014, in New York, Lively wore a Gucci champagne-colored gown with a flowy cape, intricate beading, and red earrings. The 2013 'Punk: Chaos to Couture' event on May 6, 2013, in New York saw her in a strapless Gucci gown with a gray bodice, black layered train, and dangly diamond earrings.

Lively's 2011 look for 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty' on May 2, 2011, in New York featured a neutral-colored Chanel gown with intricate silver designs on the bodice and draped fabric, complemented by her strawberry blonde hair that year.

For the 2010 'American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity' theme on May 3, 2010, in New York, she opted for a one-shoulder lapis mini dress by Marchesa with a ruffled floral design and see-through black heels. In 2009, at the 'The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion' gala on May 4, 2009, in New York, Lively wore a celestial cobalt blue flowy Versace gown with one sleeve.

Her Met Gala debut in 2008, for 'Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy' on May 5, 2008, in New York, included a black Ralph Lauren mermaid-style gown with black feathers on the bottom, paired with black gloves, diamond bracelets, and matching earrings.

Forbes reported that Lively settled her remaining claims against Baldoni’s production company weeks before the May 4, 2026, announcement, marking the end of the legal saga. The settlement avoided a trial that would have drawn further attention to behind-the-scenes tensions in Hollywood productions.

Multiple sources, including ABC and BBC News, confirmed the timing of the announcement coincided with Lively's public appearance at the gala.

The joint statement highlighted the film's role in raising awareness about domestic violence, aligning with the story's themes.