Blake Lively didn’t pay her way into the 2026 Met Gala, despite rumors online claiming otherwise.
The 38-year-old actress was invited to the star-studded event on Monday, May 4, as a guest of Vogue and Condé Nast’s global chief content officer and artist director Anna Wintour, a source confirms to Us Weekly exclusively.
Lively channeled the “Costume Art” theme on Monday with an Atelier Versace gown pulled from the 2006 archives, which she paired with Lorraine Schwartz jewels. This year’s event marked Lively’s first Met Gala appearance since 2022.
“It’s an honor to attend with Donatella [Versace], one that I don’t take lightly,” Lively told Vogue in an interview on Monday. “I haven’t been since giving birth to my fourth child.”
Lively, who shares four kids with husband Ryan Reynolds, attended the event solo.
“Every year I am a different version of myself than the last, so to be able to stand in the version of myself that I am today — and all the experiences I‘ve had — in strength and confidence is important to me,” she added. “So is staying home on the couch with my kids in pajamas: Getting to do both is an honor I will never stop being grateful for.”
Versace told the publication that Lively looked “stunning” in the archival look.
“She has had so many iconic Versace moments at the Met, and tonight is no exception,” the designer continued.
A Complete Timeline of Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni’s Lawsuit and Trial
Lively’s most iconic Versace look was, perhaps, her 2022 Met Gala outfit which paid homage to New York City. Time stopped on the red carpet when Lively did a major reveal, undoing the giant copper bow on her dress to unravel a green train underneath.
For her return on Monday, Lively landed on the pastel-colored gown because of its symbolism.
“What made this piece ‘the one,’ is that the gown is the color of both a sunrise and a sunset, representing so much beauty, warmth and the many layers and nuances in the closing of one day and the beginning of another,” the Gossip Girl alum told Vogue. “Honoring of the cycles of life and time in the most beautiful way. Art that has personal, interpretive and meaningful stories within them is the work that moves me most as a fan.”
Lively’s Met Gala appearance came hours after she reached a settlement in the years-long legal battle against her It Ends With Us costar and director, Justin Baldoni.
“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,” Lively and Baldoni said in a statement via their attorneys on Monday. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind.”
The statement concluded, “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard. 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.”
