As you’ve probably already heard, Blake Lively rolled up to the 2026 Met Gala just hours after settling her It Ends With Us lawsuit with Justin Baldoni, and people were…surprised, to say the least. The timing of Blake’s appearance even led to rumors that Blake only decided to attend at the last second, or even paid out of pocket to go—neither of which is true, btw!

Now Blake’s lawyer is explaining what motivated her to attend in the first place. When asked if the actor’s decision to attend the Met Gala was “a strategic move,” her attorney, Sigrid McCawley, told Entertainment Tonight on May 7 that Blake is focused “on exposing the digital retaliation campaign here that was weaponized against her.”

As the attorney explained, “As part of that, it’s about standing up and not being silenced, right? Moving on with your life, moving forward, and that’s exactly what Blake is intent on doing,” later adding, “She was incredibly brave to stand up for herself in that moment and for others in the workplace and she’s going to continue to pave that path of being really bold and brave in this moment.”

This comes after TMZ dispelled rumors about how Blake ended up on the steps of the Met. Per a “Blake insider,” the actor’s appearance on the red carpet was planned for “weeks” and that she was an “invited guest by Anna Wintour.” The outlet added that Blake “was going to the Met—no matter if there was a settlement, or the trial was still on the horizon.”

Meanwhile, DeuxMoi also confirmed that Blake was invited by Anna Wintour directly—weeks in advance of the Met Gala—and even sat at her table during dinner.

And about her Versace look, in case you were wondering: Blake told Vogue that “it’s an honor to attend with Donatella, one that I don’t take lightly. I haven’t been since giving birth to my fourth child. Every year I am a different version of myself than the last, so to be able to stand here in the version of myself that I am today—and all the experiences I’ve had—and strength and confidence is important to me. So is staying home on the couch with my kids in pajamas. Getting to do both is an honor I will never stop being grateful for.”