Photos of Anne Hathaway posing with Blake Lively at Monday’s star-studded Met Gala have sparked intense internet criticism.
Just hours after resolving her contentious legal dispute with her It Ends With Us co-star/director Justin Baldoni, Lively made an unexpected appearance at the annual event, which was hosted at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Lively entered the museum after ascending the famous staircase in a vibrant Atelier Versace gown, where she was spotted interacting with Hathaway.
Variety to X (previously Twitter) shared a picture of Lively grinning broadly and encircling Hathaway’s shoulders with one flawlessly spray-tanned arm on Tuesday morning.
Fans chastised Hathaway for getting close to Lively, whose allegations of sexual harassment and retribution against Baldoni have split the internet since she made them public in December 2024. The post soon acquired popularity.
“Anne, get away from her!” One X user tweeted, “She’ll sue you,” while another said, “Gross.” Did you think Anne was trying to win back the public’s favour?
Photos of Anne Hathaway posing with Blake Lively at Monday’s star-studded Met Gala have sparked intense internet criticism.
“Wow.” One disgruntled fan wrote, “Shame on Anne.”
Another X user appeared to call Lively a “bully and liar,” writing: “We have lost all respect for Anne Hathaway for posing with Hollywood’s biggest bully and liar.”
Because Hathaway “ruined” the movie by hanging out with Lively, a number of fans threatened to boycott viewing The Devil Wears Prada 2 in theatres.
This picture of Anne Hathaway grinning with Blake Lively was perfectly timed! I was just debating whether to spend this weekend cleaning out the gutters or seeing The Devil Wears Prada 2. Where are those waste bags with industrial strength?One cruel tweet said.
Due to Hathaway’s increased fame with the release of the Prada sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, some fans accused Lively of using Hathaway for “clout.”
Some made light-hearted assumptions that Hathaway was being kept “hostage” by Lively and that the picture had to have been taken against her consent.
One commenter wrote, “Poor Anne couldn’t avoid her in time,” while another said, “Blake will grab anyone who will stand with her!!!”
Hathaway was only one of three individuals that interacted with Lively during the 2026 gala, according to pictures that are publicly accessible.
Is it a social media witch hunt or fair criticism?
Variety to X (previously Twitter) shared a picture of Lively grinning broadly and around Hathaway’s shoulders with one flawlessly spray-tanned arm on Tuesday morning.
As viewers chastised Hathaway for getting too close to Lively, the post immediately gained popularity.
At the 2026 gala, Lively and Hathaway were also spotted with designer Michael Kors (R) and his spouse, Lance LePere (L).
Hathaway’s personalised, hand-painted gown was designed by Michael Kors, whose husband Lance LePere consented to take a picture with Lively inside the museum.
The majority of pictures of Lively at the Met Gala featured her stunning red carpet comeback, which surprised many admirers watching the event from home via Vogue’s livestream.
The performance coincided with her final settlement with Baldoni’s production business, Wayfarer Studios, and his public relations firm about allegations of contract violations and retaliation pertaining to their 2024 film, It Ends With Us.
In a stunning vintage Atelier Versace gown from the brand’s Spring 2006 collection, Lively seemed utterly unaffected by the off-screen controversy.
The Gossip Girl actress, however, stated in a red carpet interview that she was “shy” and hoped her husband Ryan Reynolds’s four children could go with her.
‘I’m shy, I just like to have my kids with me,’ Lively said, revealing her custom-made handbag featured watercolor drawings by each of her offspring: James, 11, Inez, nine, Betty, six, and Olin, three.
Her interview took place soon after the public was given access to a joint statement regarding the lawsuit settlement from Lively and Baldoni’s teams.
They highlighted It Ends With Us’s goal of increasing awareness for victims of domestic abuse and stated that it continues to be a “source of pride” for everyone who contributed to its creation.
Shortly after resolving her contentious legal dispute with her It Ends With Us co-star/director Justin Baldoni, Lively made an unexpected appearance at the annual event, which took place at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Gossip Girl actress appeared completely unfazed as she ascended the famous Met staircase while wearing a vibrant Atelier Versace gown.
Hathaway, meanwhile, wore a unique, hand-painted Michael Kors gown to the glamorous event. “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognise concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard.” They continued, “We continue to be steadfastly committed to workplaces devoid of improprieties and unproductive environments.”
Both parties, who have been embroiled in a convoluted legal dispute since December 2024, when Lively originally filed her multimillion-dollar lawsuit, did not issue an apology in the statement.
Rather, the teams of Baldoni and Lively expressed their “sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online.”
According to reports, Wayfarer, It Ends With Us Movie LLC, and The Agency Group (TAG PR) are thrilled with how this issue was settled.
The unexpected settlement follows a judge’s shocking dismissal of 10 of Lively’s thirteen claims, including all of the charges of sexual harassment, last month.
Only three counts—retaliation, aiding and abetting retaliation, and breach of an agreement known as the Contract Rider—were included in the trial, which was still scheduled to begin on May 18.
Baldoni was no longer listed as a defendant in the case as a result of the decision.
Lively and Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, and his public relations firm eventually came to an agreement on Monday on allegations of retaliation and contract violations pertaining to the 2024 film It Ends With Us.
Rather, Wayfarer was scheduled to stand trial for the alleged “smear campaign” against Lively, along with the business he founded to produce It Ends With Us and TAG PR. It refuted the allegations.
Wayfarer and Baldoni had filed a $400 million countersuit against Lively and Reynolds, alleging extortion and defamation. In June of last year, the judge rejected the allegations.
August 2024 saw the debut of It Ends With Us, an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling 2016 book that starts out as a romance before taking a sinister turn toward domestic abuse.
With a $50 million opening, the movie surpassed box office projections.
