Met Gala 2026: Blake Lively tells impatient photogaphers to ‘hold on’ while walking red carpet

Blake Lively has made an appearance at the Met Gala for the first time in four years, but as she made her way up the iconic steps, she had an awkward encounter with impatient paparazzi.

The actress stunned in a “sunrise and sunset watercolour” 2006 archival Versace gown with a huge train flowing behind her — proving why she is the queen of the big train.

Before Lively ascended the beige steps, Met staff rushed to lift her train to help her walk, but she politely told them they could just “leave it”, as seen on Vogue’s live stream of the event.

When she arrived at her next spot to pose on the stairs, she was seen trying to adjust and fix her heavy dress into place while the paparazzi yelled out to her, wanting to take her photo.

In response, Lively told them to “hold on” while pointing a finger at them.

However, it didn’t stop the photographers hungry for content who continued to relentlessly call out to her, saying “over the shoulder Blake”.

Lively eventually managed to wrangle her fairy floss coloured gown, apologised and told the impatient crowd that her team had “worked so hard on (this) I have to make it look nice”.

After she made it to the top of the steps, she was interviewed by La La Anthony, where she gave some insight into her extravagant ensemble.

“It’s an honour to wear this gorgeous gown, it looks like a sunrise and sunset watercolour,” she said.

She also said her bag featured watercolour artwork done by her four kids, whom she shares with Ryan Reynolds, to bring her “comfort” throughout the huge night.

Lively’s appearance comes hours after she settled the long-running and ugly lawsuit between her and former colleague Justin Baldoni over sexual harassment on the set of It Ends With Us.

The civil case was settled two weeks before a trial was set to begin in New York following Lively’s claims that Baldoni conspired with publicists to pre-emptively destroy her reputation after she privately accused him of sexually harassing her on the movie set.

“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,” the pair said in a joint statement issued through their lawyers.