Why Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds are skipping the 2025 Met Gala

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds attend the 2022 Met Gala — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The 2025 Met Gala is just months away, with A-listers set to descend on New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art to attend this year's Costume Institute Benefit.

This year's Met Gala is set to be chaired by Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Anna Wintour, with LeBron James coming onboard as an Honorary Chair.

And the annual event's 2025 theme has been confirmed as "Tailed for You", tying in with the Metropolitan Museum's Spring 2025 exhibition: "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style".

It was the guest list that made headlines this week, as TMZ reported that Met Gala regulars Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds would not be in attendance this year.

This comes amid a difficult year for the A-list couple, with Lively locked in a legal battle with her It Ends With Us director and co-star, Justin Baldoni.

Lively took legal action against Baldoni in December 2024, accusing him of sexual harassment and for allegedly coordinating a smear campaign against her. Baldoni then filed a $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Lively's publicist, Leslie Sloane - suing the trio for defamation.

And with a trial set for March 2026, it was thought that the ongoing legal proceedings could have been the reason behind the couple's decision to skip the Met Gala this year.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds attend the 2017 Met Gala

However, it has been pointed out by insiders that Lively and Reynolds have actually not attended the Met Gala for years, making their last appearance in 2022 when they were co-chairs at the Costume Institute Benefit. And sources have since explained that there is nothing major to read into regarding their absence.

"Blake and Ryan haven’t gone since 2022, when they were co-chairs, and they will not be in attendance this year," a source has explained via People. "She’s not a Kardashian that goes every year," added a separate source via Us Weekly.

The 2025 Met Gala will take place on Monday 5 May, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City.

We will continue to update this story.

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Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.