Blake Lively displayed a “reserved sadness” and “signs of discomfort” at the Met Gala 2026 after she and Justin Baldoni settled their nasty court battle, according to multiple body language experts.
“Primarily, she’s radiating happiness with that big open-mouth smile. And in a couple of other moments, we see a closed-mouth smile that doesn’t quite reach all the way to her eyes,” behavior analyst Traci Brown exclusively told Page Six Tuesday.
“There’s a reserved sadness there,” Brown continued. “Could these be a reflection of the settlement? Absolutely. Could it be something else? Yes.”
Brown believes it isn’t out of the question that Lively’s mannerisms at the Vogue event are showing her reaction to the settlement.
“It wouldn’t be too far of a leap to guess we’re seeing some reflections about the settlement,” Brown said.
Body language expert Darren Stanton also weighed in on Lively’s appearance while speaking with Page Six on behalf of Covers.
“Blake Lively appears to be projecting confidence, with her hands on her hips to make herself appear larger — a classic body language signal of self-assurance,” Stanton said. “However, there are subtle signs of discomfort we can see in the footage.”
Stanton believes Lively’s smiles were “inconsistent” with her body language, and she lacked signs of “genuine happiness.”
“She seems slightly tense in the moment — not angry, but not as calm as we typically see her,” Stanton said.
At one point, the “Gossip Girl” actress displayed chin thrusts and tilted her head back, which Stanton dubbed a “power gesture.”
“She feels a sense of control or authority in the moment. Yet, her facial expressions are giving mixed messages,” Stanton said.
“While she smiles, it doesn’t fully engage the eyes or cheek muscles, and there are no crows feet, the key components of a genuine smile,” he continued. “Only one muscle is active, indicating she is not as relaxed or happy as she wants to appear.”
Judging from other nonverbal body language gestures like her “lip compression,” Stanton believes she was “managing how she comes across very carefully.”
“Almost as if she wants to say something but is holding back,” Stanton said. “She also appears slightly irritated by her dress, which she keeps hoisting up as she walks across the red carpet.”
All of these signals point to Lively projecting a sense of being “very composed,” while also “focused on navigating the red carpet and getting through the media frenzy and is not fully enjoying the experience,” Stanton said.
On Met Monday, Lively and Baldoni announced they had settled their court battle following their off-screen feud on the set of their 2024 film, “It Ends With Us.”
“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,” both sides said in a joint statement to Page Six. “Raising awareness, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of domestic violence survivors — and all survivors — is a goal that we stand behind.”
An insider told Page Six that Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 42, were negotiating for a few weeks and “were encouraged to reach an agreement.”
“They finally came to an agreement today. It was a last-minute deal,” the insider said.
They were initially scheduled to go to trial on May 18.
Page Six confirmed Tuesday that neither party earned any money in the settlement. However, sources told Page Six Hollywood that the pair spent $60 million combined to sue and countersue one another — making their respective legal teams the real winners in the end.
Just hours after the announcement, Lively walked the red carpet at the Met Gala 2026 in a colorful archival Versace gownfrom 2006. She leaned into the “Fashion is Art” dress code by carrying a custom Judith Leiber bag featuring her children’s artwork.
Brand expert Sarah Schmidt, president of interdependence PR, examined the reason behind Lively’s choice to announce the settlement moments before attending the Vogue event.
“For eighteen months, the dominant images of Blake Lively were of a woman walking into a federal courthouse,” Schmidt said. “Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni was quietly picking up public empathy and support online.
“Blake and her team knew it,” Schmidt continued. “And after the judge gutted most of her case last month, she could see the narrative slipping. So she did the smartest thing a publicist could choreograph — she preempted the narrative.”
Lively was able to swap out courthouse imagery with photos of her Versace gown “in a single evening,” Schmidt said.
“The first picture people see of Lively will be from fashion’s biggest night,” Schmidt said. “Same week, two completely different images.”
She also discussed how Lively’s PR move could impact Baldoni’s image.
“It’s a grand stage that Baldoni cannot match – at least not quickly or easily. That’s PR strategy at its best,” she said.
Lively sued Baldoni for sexual harassment and retaliation in December 2024, prompting the “Jane the Virgin” star to hit back with a $400 million countersuit (which was tossed in June 2025).
Baldoni did have a major win when the judge threw out 10 of Lively’s 13 allegations against him, including sexual harassment, conspiracy and defamation, in April.
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