Blake Lively's Met Gala Comeback After Justin Baldoni Settlement Leaves Fans Divided

Blake Lively made a statement on the steps of the 2026 Met Gala.

Arriving at the Metropolitan Museum of Art just hours after reaching a settlement in her legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni, the actress stepped onto the carpet in a pastel Atelier Versace gown that signaled a new chapter. But while the appearance was clearly calculated, the internet quickly shifted focus from fashion to behavior.

“Blake Lively was not just attending a fashion event. She was executing the first move of her image repair strategy,” said Amore Philip, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations.

With the lawsuit resolved, Lively was no longer bound by the same legal constraints that had limited her public presence for months. Philip noted that the timing was not manufactured, as Lively’s invite had been “locked in” weeks before, but it nevertheless provided an important boon.

“The moment that settlement was signed her team had a window and they used it immediately. Same day. Same night,” Philip said, noting that her Met Gala appearance replaced months of courtroom imagery with a high-glamour reset.

The symbolism extended to her look, which Lively described to Vogue as representing “the many layers and nuances in the closing of one day and the beginning of another.”

A clip of Lively interacting with the team handling her 13-foot train quickly went viral, with viewers split over whether she appeared “bossy” or simply assertive. In the video, she smiles while instructing handlers — reportedly including her cousin — on how to arrange the gown.

The moment became a flashpoint, with critics calling it “mean girl” energy while supporters defended her as “delegating like a boss.”

“Her appearance at the Met Gala did her more damage as she angrily admonished the gentlemen who were helping her with her gown on the steps,” said behavioral psychologist and renowned body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass. “It reinforced that she was indeed the ‘mean girl’ that people perceived her as throughout the lawsuit.”

Glass added that the contrast between Lively’s soft, pastel styling and the perceived tone of the interaction created a disconnect.

“Her attempt to come across sweet and gentle in a noninvasive pastel gown backfired as her toxic behavior emerged,” she said.

Fans dissected not just Lively’s outfit, but her demeanor and interactions.

“The first appearance after legal news is always a focal point because it answers the question everyone has been waiting to ask: how does she carry herself now?” Philip said.

“Confidence reads as vindication. Discomfort reads as guilt,” she added. “The body language, the look, the smile, all of it gets analyzed. That is not gossip. That is communications.”