Internet Demands Blake Lively Met Gala Ban As Disgraced Star Slams Critics With Shameless Red Carpet Appearance

Blake Lively staged one of the most polarising red carpet returns in Met Gala history on 4 May 2026, arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York just hours after settling a nearly two-year legal battle with her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni.

The Gossip Girl star made her first appearance at fashion's biggest night since 2022, choosing a pastel archival Atelier Versace gown and remaining entirely silent on the settlement as she walked the carpet.

Online, the reaction was immediate and largely furious, with audiences across social media demanding that the event's organisers ban Lively from future galas entirely. The appearance, timed only hours after attorneys for both sides issued a joint statement ending the acrimonious dispute, struck many observers as a deliberate and carefully staged public relaunch.

A Same-Day Settlement Sets the Stage for Lively's Return

The settlement between Lively, Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios, and the PR firm The Agency Group was announced on 4 May 2026, just two weeks before a Manhattan jury trial had been scheduled to begin. Attorneys representing both parties released a joint statement, the terms of which were not made public.

The statement read: '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.'

The statement, issued by attorneys Bryan Freedman, Ellyn Garofalo, Michael Gottlieb, and Esra Hudson, continued: 'We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognise 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.' The statement contained no direct apology from Baldoni.

The timing of Lively's arrival on the Met Gala carpet, within hours of that announcement, was not lost on either industry observers or the public. Deadline described her appearance as 'taking a victory lap by any other name,' noting that honorary co-chairs Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez gave the event a commercial dimension that made Lively's presence all the more notable, given her Another Simple Favor sequel had been released on Prime Video in 2025.

What the Court Ruled Before the Case Collapsed

The settlement did not arrive from a position of strength for Lively. In April 2026, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman issued a ruling that dismissed ten of the thirteen claims in Lively's federal lawsuit against Baldoni and his associates. Among the claims thrown out were allegations of sexual harassment, defamation, and conspiracy.

The dismissal of the core sexual harassment claim rested partly on the fact that Lively was classified as an independent contractor rather than an employee, a legal technicality that removed certain statutory protections.

The three claims that survived and were set for trial were retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of contract, and crucially, those claims ran against Wayfarer Studios, a production LLC, and the PR firm, rather than against Baldoni personally. The Hollywood Reporter noted that legal experts were unsurprised by the settlement given the narrowing of the case, with one former federal prosecutor commenting there was 'not enough meat on the bone to make it worth the parties' and lawyers' time.'

Judge Liman did signal, however, that conduct by Baldoni's team following Lively's original complaint was potentially problematic. 'Certain conduct at least arguably crossed the line,' he wrote in the April ruling, referring specifically to alleged retaliatory activities carried out in the press and on social media.

Archival Versace and Conspicuous Silence on the Carpet

Lively dressed for maximum impact at the Costume Art-themed gala. She wore an archival Atelier Versace gown from the Spring 2006 collection, a Baroque-inspired multi-layered pastel design in peaches, purples, and yellows, with a 13-foot train added for the occasion. She paired the look with custom Lorraine Schwartz jewellery, including a 30-carat yellow diamond ring, and a custom Judith Leiber bag featuring original watercolour artwork by her four children with Ryan Reynolds.

The online response to Lively's appearance was sharp and largely hostile. Across social media platforms, users questioned the appropriateness of the timing and the decision to grant her access to the event at all. Bored Panda documented a wave of critical commentary, including one widely shared post reading: 'We need to know who she bullied at the met gala.' Many argued that Baldoni, rather than Lively, should have been the one walking the carpet in the wake of their dispute.

Critics pointed to the broader context of Lively's reputational decline since the film's press tour in August 2024, when audiences had already begun pushing back against what many perceived as tone-deaf promotional conduct on a film dealing with domestic violence. Lively had also faced separate criticism earlier in 2024 over a social media post referencing the Kate Middleton photo-editing controversy, for which she later publicly apologised, calling it 'a silly post' and saying she was 'mortified' once the broader context became clear.

Whether her Met Gala appearance silences her critics or hands them another chapter remains to be seen, but Lively's return to fashion's most scrutinised staircase has guaranteed that the It Ends With Us saga will not quietly close with the settlement.