Blake Lively Wanted to Prove 'She Is Not Hiding' With Surprise Met Gala Appearance After Settling Justin Baldoni Lawsuit, Claims PR Experts

Blake Lively's attending fashion's biggest night hours after settling her lawsuit with It Ends With Us costar Justin Baldoni proved she's not shying away from the spotlight despite facing public backlash, according to an expert.

"Blake Lively walking onto the Met Gala carpet just hours after the settlement news sends one very clear message — she is not hiding," Kelcey Kintner, Senior VP of crisis management firm Red Banyan PR, said, per an article published on Wednesday, May 6.

"And honestly, the Met Gala is probably the most Blake Lively place possible for her to make that point," Kintner added. "She has always been a fashion favorite, so this was familiar territory for her. It was a way to remind people, ‘I’m still here, I still know how to own a red carpet, and I’m moving forward.'"

The Gossip Girl alum, 38 — who notably skipped last year's gala — graced the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday, May 4, in a head-turning vintage 2006 Atelier Versace gown.

Showing off a custom Judith Leiber bag featuring watercolor artwork, she told Vogue on the red carpet, "Each of my four kids did this, so I have them with me, because I'm shy too."

"Isn't that special?" Lively said. "I probably could have fit them under my dress, to be honest. I should have snuck them under there."

"Clearly she is trying to take control of a narrative that she lost a year ago; and it was a deliberately calculated tactic in order to achieve that exact outcome," said Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital.

"Lively attended, not just to ‘get her face in the place,’ he said, "but to send a subtle, unspoken message: I’m here because I won; the battle is over, and I am ready to reclaim my title and all the amenities that go along with it."

However, Steve Honig, of The Honig Company, said that "some audiences may still view the appearance as overly staged given the proximity to the news, while others will see it as confidence and closure."

But Honig thinks "her brands can definitely recover," explaining, "She is a talented actress, and over time that kind of credibility tends to transcend controversy. Her next move should be measured and restrained, focusing on her work and allowing audience validation to help her move forward."

"She should let the dress, the photos and the appearance do the talking for now," the PR expert added. "The more she explains, the more she risks pulling everyone back into the drama."

Honig added, "A few forward-looking comments down the road are fine, but she does not need a full media tour about this closure. Sometimes the smartest PR move is knowing when to stop talking about an issue."

Lively and Baldoni announced in a joint statement on Monday that they settled their two-year legal battle — two weeks before the costars were set to appear in court.

In December 2024, Lively filed a bombshell lawsuit detailing the "severe emotional distress" she experienced on the set of It Ends With Us, citing repeated instances of sexual harassment she suffered from Baldoni.

In the filing, the actress also accused the director, 41, of attempting to "destroy" her career, claiming he hired a crisis management and publicity team to carry out a public "smear campaign."

On April 2, a judge dismissed 10 of Lively's claims of sexual harassment, defamation and conspiracy, but permitted three claims — including breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting in retaliation — to go to trial next month.

Baldoni filed a lawsuit of his own against the actress, accusing her of trying to ruin his reputation while she sought to take control of the film — however, it was dismissed last year.