Blake Lively makes Met Gala appearance sans husband Ryan Reynolds, hours after settling 'It Ends With Us' lawsuit with Justin Baldoni - PICS

Hollywood actress Blake Lively made a solo appearance at the Met Gala 2026, hours after settling her multi-million dollar lawsuit with 'It Ends With Us' director Justin Baldoni.Lively hit the red carpet in an archival 2006 Atelier Versace multi-colored pastel gown, reportedly inspired by Venetian Rococo paintings and Baroque churches. The actress walked up the iconic stairs alone, smiling as she waved to the shutterbugs and flashing cameras.Her appearance at the Met came moments after news broke that she settled her years-long legal battle with Baldoni, thus avoiding a costly civil trial, set to take place on May 18. In the joint statement through their lawyers, the two said, "Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors - and all survivors - is a goal that we stand behind.""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 costars turned courtroom adversaries settled the civil case two weeks before they were to go to trial in New York on Lively’s claims that Baldoni conspired with publicists to preemptively destroy her reputation after she privately accused him of sexually harassing her on the movie set.Baldoni had denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign.Monday's settlement came after a federal judge in Manhattan tossed some of each actors' claims.Last June, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed Baldoni’s defamation and extortion lawsuit. In April, he threw out Lively’s sexual harassment claims, ruling that she couldn’t pursue them under federal law because she was an independent contractor rather than an employee on the movie set.In their joint statement, the parties said they recognise that Lively’s concerns “deserved to be heard” and that they ”remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments."See More: Met Gala 2026 LIVE Updates: Manish Malhotra and Karan Johar make a statement in Indian-inspired creations