Blake Lively carried her children with her at the 2026 Met Gala.
The Gossip Girl alum, 38, took to her Instagram Story on Tuesday, May 5, to share a video of herself posing on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City the previous night. Lively sported a pastel Atelier Versace dress for the evening’s “Costume Art” theme, featuring a draped bodice embroidered with gemstones and a long train in pink, yellow, coral, peach and lilac hues. She accessorized with custom Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.
Perhaps the sweetest part of the enchanted look was Lively’s custom Judith Leiber Couture bag, which was personalized with artwork made by her and husband Ryan Reynolds’ four kids — James, 11, Inez, 9, Betty, 6, and Olin, 3.
“Having my babies with me through each of their sweet paintings on my [Judith Leiber] clutch was the dream and my ultimate comfort ✨🥹,” Lively wrote over the video on Tuesday.
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Lively shared why she wanted to include her kids in her Met Gala look during an interview with Vogue on the red carpet on Monday, May 4.
“We were trying to find a piece of famous, iconic art to put on and make it look like it was in a frame. And then I said, ‘Would you, actually, if you’re gonna make it custom, would you do my kids?’” she said.
Lively continued, “My kids each painted a watercolor painting. Each of my four kids did this, so I have them with me, because I’m shy too, so I just like to have the kids with me. Isn’t that special? I probably could have fit them under my dress, to be honest. I should have snuck them under there.”
Jana Matheson, chief creative officer of Judith Leiber Couture, also weighed in.
“[Lively’s] love of sparkle and touch of whimsy make her a dream client,” she said. “This season’s clutch, featuring her children’s artwork, is an especially meaningful touch. We used a new minaudière shape with four sides, so each of her children’s drawings could be included.”
Monday night marked Lively’s return to the Met Gala after four years. She last attended the event in 2022, when she served as a co-chair alongside Reynolds, 49. The Deadpool star skipped this year’s gala.
Hours before her appearance at the Met Gala, it was announced that Lively had settled her contentious legal battle with It Ends With Us costar and director Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios two weeks before the case was set to go to trial.
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“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,” Lively and Baldoni, 42, said in a statement to Us Weekly via their attorneys on Monday. “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.”
The statement continued, “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.”
