Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have seemingly settled their long-running legal feud. Following the highly publicized settlement, Lively made a surprise appearance at the 2026 Met Gala earlier this week. In a recent interview, Baldoni’s friend, Adam Mondschein, revealed how he felt about her presence at one of the biggest fashion events shortly after news of the settlement broke.
Mondschein called Lively’s Met appearance a “desperate PR attempt”
In an exclusive interview with Page Six, Baldoni’s friend was not exactly thrilled about Lively’s Met Gala appearance just hours after the settlement. He said he viewed her presence at the star-studded event as a “desperate PR attempt” to showcase that she has returned to normalcy following the legal battle. “If you could hear eyes roll,” Mondschein said, doubling down on his disdain.
“I really do feel sorry for her, because I see those things as kind of desperate PR attempts to try to prove that everything is, I guess, their version of normal. I don’t know, it just feels contrived. Orchestrated. It feels hollow,” he further stated. He compared the Met Gala experience to admiring Macy’s elaborate Christmas window displays as a child in New York City.
According to him, attendees looked beautiful and exciting on the outside despite having “nothing” inside. Baldoni’s friend added that the fashion scene at the event now feels similarly “hollow” and emotionally empty to him.
Meanwhile, Mondschein told the media outlet that while Lively was attending the fashion event in New York, Baldoni spent time with his loved ones while recovering from a cold. “Justin was with his family, and also I think he’s getting over a cold,” he said. Mondschein also revealed that the stress of the highly publicized legal battle had taken a toll on his pal’s mental and physical well-being.
“He’s a real person. He’s out here experiencing all of this chaos like a human person would. And it’s insurmountable,” he added. The settlement between the It Ends With Us co-stars reportedly did not involve any monetary compensation for either party. However, according to court documents, Lively still retains claims for attorney fees, punitive damages, and treble damages against Baldoni.
It’s in connection with his failed counterdefamation suit. Both parties also released a joint statement expressing hope that the settlement would finally put the lengthy legal dispute behind them and allow both actors to move forward peacefully and constructively.
