Blake Lively‘s appearance at the 2026 Met Gala generated a whole lot of buzz, not just because it occurred just hours after she settled her ongoing legal battle with Justin Baldoni, but because she hasn’t attended since 2022.
So when the former Gossip Girl star stepped out at this year’s fashion fundraiser at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, it didn’t take long for rumours to start swirling, including claims she’d somehow paid her way onto the exclusive guest list.
The rumour’s flames were stoked by a fan page dedicated to the Met Gala (@metgalaofficial_) — which has 591,000+ followers — which shared a photo of Lively with the caption: “According to rumours, Blake Lively wasn’t invited to the Met Gala 2026, so she allegedly paid over $100,000 to get an invitation — and wanted to keep it secret.”
The post quickly went viral, amassing 83.5K likes and 1,077 comments at the time of writing.
According to a source speaking to E! News, the rumour is flat-out false. Lively was reportedly invited by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who co-chaired the night alongside heavyweights including Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams.
Not only was Blake invited, apparently she was also sat at Anna’s table, which is an even greater honour.
“It’s an honour 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.”
Versace praised Lively while on the red carpet, telling Vogue: “She has had so many iconic Versace moments at the Met, and tonight is no exception.”
Although her morning was filled with chaos, what with the legal drama and all that, an insider said Lively seemed “strong, confident, fearless” on the red carpet, telling PEOPLE she’s “standing strong”.
The source also shared that Lively was “chatting” with others at the event and “didn’t avoid anybody or any conversations”.
“She smiled, and she looked comfortable,” they added.
For her 10th turn at the Met Gala, Blake Lively leaned all the way into spectacle.
Dressed in a custom Atelier Versace gown complete with a reversible train, Lively arrived alongside Ryan Reynolds, who kept things classic in a velvet tuxedo and white bow tie.
But the real moment came midway up the Met steps, when Lively paused for a mini fashion performance — flipping the train to reveal an aqua lining that unfurled dramatically behind her.
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