Hugh Jackman served as Blake Lively's superhero at the 2026 Met Gala, stepping in to help her avoid a wardrobe malfunction on the red carpet, despite Ryan Reynolds' absence. During a May 6 appearance on "Today," Jackman recounted how his friend, the "It Ends With Us" actress, had called out for assistance with her "stunning" Versace ball gown, which featured a dramatic 13-foot train.
"My good friend Blake Lively goes, 'Dude, I need some help with the dress,'" Jackman recalled, as he explained how Lively had pointed to the bodice of her dress and noted, "I think there's a hook in there." Before helping the actress rearrange her gown, Jackman sent a text message to Reynolds, who had missed the "cool moment," as Jackman dubbed it, by not attending Anna Wintour's annual philanthropic affair.
"I'm like, 'Ryan, is this cool? Checking. Are we good?'" Jackman recalled, revealing that Reynolds had replied, "Go for it, brother."
While Reynolds, 49, was absent from the Met Gala, his bromance with Jackman continued to be a source of amusement. The duo has a famously funny friendship of pranking each other, such as when Reynolds sent the Broadway star a framed photo of himself as a gift for Jackman's opening night of "The Music Man."
Lively also got in on the fun over the years. In 2018, Reynolds posted a photo of himself and Jackman hanging out at Jackman's coffee shop - a non-profit venture called Laughing Man Coffee Company - to Instagram, prompting Blake to comment, "Is the extra distance between you supposed to convince me that you DON'T love him more than me??"
As for Jackman, he kept things sleek on the Met steps in a black velvet tux, while his date Sutton Foster brought the razzle-dazzle in a shimmery gold gown for one of their rare red carpet outings since debuting their romance in January 2025.
