Blake Lively returns to Met Gala after settling Baldoni lawsuit
What's the story
Hollywood actor Blake Lively made a stunning appearance at the Met Gala on Monday night. She wore an archival 2006 Atelier Versace gown, inspired by Venetian Rococo paintings and Baroque churches. This marked her return to the prestigious event after four years, just hours after announcing that her long-running legal dispute with actor-director Justin Baldoni would not go to trial.
Legal dispute
The legal battle explained
Lively first accused Baldoni, her director and co-star on It Ends With Us, of sexual harassment in 2024. She alleged that he retaliated against her with a digital smear campaign. In response, Baldoni filed a lengthy defamation lawsuit in federal court and also targeted The New York Times for publishing messages with his publicists about orchestrating a smear campaign against Lively. Both of his cases were dismissed early on.
Settlement announcement
Both parties released a joint statement
On Monday, both parties released a joint statement. They said, "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."
Legal proceedings
Lively initially sought $161 million in damages
Before the settlement, Lively had sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation in December 2024. She alleged several incidents from the It Ends With Us set, which Baldoni denied. In her lawsuit, she claimed around $161 million in damages due to an alleged smear campaign against her. In turn, Baldoni countersued Lively with a $400 million suit that was ultimately dismissed in June 2025.
Court ruling
Sexual harassment allegation was dismissed earlier this year
In April, a judge dismissed 10 of Lively's 13 allegations against Baldoni, including sexual harassment, conspiracy, and defamation. The remaining allegations were breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding/abetting in retaliation. An attorney for Lively had told Page Six at the time that the sexual harassment allegation was dismissed "not because the defendants did nothing wrong" but due to her being deemed an "independent contractor, not an employee."