Hugh Jackman has joked about needing Ryan Reynolds's permission to touch Blake Lively in the hours after she settled her lawsuit with Justin Baldoni.

The Australian actor, 57, revealed how he was forced to aid the 'stunning' actress with a wardrobe malfunction at the Met Gala on Monday night.

Ms Lively had turned up at the most dazzling evening in the fashion calendar only hours after the humiliation of settling the lawsuit she brought against her It Ends With Us co-star.

She ascended the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in a stunning 2006 Versace gown.

But her close friend Hugh Jackman, who attended the gala with partner Sutton Foster, revealed how Blake had asked for his help to fasten the stunning dress away from the red carpet.

He then joked about needing Ryan's permission first, admitting: 'I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't say this'.

Promoting his new movie in the US on NBC's The Today Show, Mr Jackman said: 'My good friend Blake Lively said "Dude I need some help with a dress. There is a hook in there".'

Mimicking being on his phone texting, Hugh said: 'And I'm like "Ryan is this cool - I'm just checking - are we good?"

'And he [Ryan Reynolds] said: "Go for it brother".'

He added of his friend Blake's outfit: 'She was stunning. Always stunning'.

Hugh and Ryan are also close having co-starred in 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine.

Viewers of the Today show immediately linked his joke to Blake's case against Mr Baldoni, who she accused of 'unwanted touching' and sexual harassment on the set of their 2024 film It Ends With Us. 

Mr Jackman's funny anecdote came after claims from Wayfarer Studios co-founder Jamey Heath that Hugh and Taylor Swift were allegedly witnesses when Ryan Reynolds confronted Justin Baldoni over his wife's claims he fat-shamed her. 

Blake's deposition denied this and claimed that only she, her husband and Justin were present during the 'conversation … about my weight.' 

A star of It Ends With Us yesterday hailed the end of Blake's lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, accusing her of breaking his friend's 'big heart'.

Adam Mondschein, who played a doctor in the movie's famous birth scene, suggested that Ms Lively will be in turmoil after the case settled on the eve of a New York trial.

'I can't imagine what it must be like to be inside of her mind', he said.

'I have very firm feelings about the actions that she took and she hurt my friend and has been hurting my friend.

'I think he really wants to tell his story, and he deserves to be heard. To let sunlight in on this, has been the thing that I feel her camp has been avoiding.' 

Mr Mondschein revealed that he even fought for Blake to get the role of Lily Bloom - telling Mr Baldoni she was 'perfect' for the part - only for her to blow up the project and 'hurt his friend'. 

Addressing some of the allegations she made about Justin, including harassment and sexual misconduct on the set of their hit movie, Adam said: 'It is unbearable when someone misjudges you, when someone takes you out of context. The only thing I ever thought he was guilty of was sometimes being a little cheesy, but that's it'.

Mr Mondschein revealed that he has spoken to Justin since the settlement and admitted his friend is both 'relieved' the case is over but 'frustrated' that he will not have his day in court.

Speaking to Piers Morgan on his Uncensored show, he said he believes the brutal legal fight had broken his friend's 'big heart'.

The Daily Mail revealed that Ms Lively did not get a single dollar from Justin Baldoni after settling her lawsuit against his film production company Wayfarer. 

She had asked for $300million in damages.

Piers put it to Adam Mondschein that there should not be a 'shred of sympathy' for Blake, calling the damage to her reputation 'entirely self-inflicted.'

Mr Mondschein responded: 'I feel sorry for her ultimately'.

Mr Baldoni was pictured smiling while out with his devoted wife Emily, 41, on Wednesday.

But his friend Adam said the case had taken a huge toll on the actor and director.

'He has the biggest heart of any person I've ever met. He's overwhelmed. I think the burden on his family, the taxing way they were dragged into the public', Mr Mondschein said.

Mr Mondschein also said it had been 'insulting' that the actress had dragged him into proceedings.

He played Doctor Dunbar in the hospital scene towards the end of the movie when Lily gives birth.

Ms Lively would later claim in her lawsuit that Justin made her feel uncomfortable by casting him because Adam was a 'friend' of his. She also claimed it had been invasive and humiliating to have his face and hands in close proximity as she acted out giving birth.

Reacting to this, Mr Mondschein laughed and said: 'It is insulting. 

'The irony is that I was so far away that she would have had to shoot the baby at velocity for me to catch. That's how far away I was.

'It's for a movie. It's not real. None of it is real. She's in Time magazine's top hundred most influential people . She had all of the power of a star in the room'.

Piers asked him: 'Did his [Justin] heart get broken do you think by this whole process?'

'I think so, it's been weighing on him. The hardest thing for me is watching my friend wear the pain,' Adam replied.

Describing his friend, he said: 'He's so pure in an industry that is so sceptical and so selfish and so nepotistic and so narcissistic, and he truly means what he says. He has the biggest heart of any person I've ever met'.

Blake Lively did not get a single dollar from Justin Baldoni after settling her lawsuit against his film production company Wayfarer, the Daily Mail revealed this week.

Despite claiming she lost nearly $300million in earnings and income after being the victim of an alleged 'smear campaign,' no money changed hands in the final agreement. 

Sources in Baldoni's camp said they were 'ecstatic' with how the case was resolved, and now it's easy to see why: they didn't have to pay anything.

The shock twist came after the case was settled just two weeks before it was due to go to trial in New York.

In a joint statement, both sides said that the filming of the movie 'presented challenges' and that Lively's 'concerns deserved to be heard.' 

But there was no apology, only a call for everyone to move on 'in peace'.

The lack of a financial settlement is a sharp contrast to Lively's requests to be compensated for the damage to her reputation and film career.

The former 'Gossip Girl' star claimed in court documents that she lost as much as $40.5 million due to being branded a 'mean girl' and a 'bully'.

She claimed in court filings that she missed out on up to $87.8 million in lost acting and endorsement opportunities.

Up to $143.5 million more was supposedly lost in profits from Lively's haircare and alcohol range after the controversy over the film

Baldoni's lawyers called these claims 'pie in the sky' figures and said that Lively's reputation was already damaged due to her own actions.