Getting an invite to the Met Gala is usually a symbol that you’ve reached a certain level of fame, but while most people kill for a coveted ticket, there are also a handful of celebs who’re skipping the iconic event.
We’re mere hours from the start of the Met Gala red carpet, where celebs’ outfits will be heralded as exciting works of art or picked apart by the paparazzi and critical fans alike as they walk up those iconic stairs.
And while this moment is a rite of passage for A-listers and newly minted stars, there are some celebrities who turn down Anna Wintour’s invitation.
We may not know everyone that is attending yet — that guest list is a closely guarded secret — but we do know who isn’t going. Whether it’s because of disinterest, disapproval, not receiving an invite, or a simple scheduling conflict, these stars are not attending the Met Gala this year.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep might be currently gracing the silver screen in The Devil Wears Prada 2, where she plays a character based on real-life Met Gala chair Anna Wintour, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to the event.
While The Hollywood Reporter floated the idea that the notoriously liberal Streep turned down the invite because billionaires Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are co-chairing the event, Streep’s publicist said that “it has never quite been her scene.”
Zohran Mamdani
Fans of Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, who were hoping to see what she would wear to the iconic event, are going to be disappointed because the mayor of New York City passed on the invite. Mamdani told Hell Gate that while he thinks the Met is “a critical part of the city,” his "focus is also on affordability and making the most expensive city in the United States affordable."
Billy Porter
Billy Porter said he hasn’t been invited back to the Met Gala since he made a show-stopping appearance in 2019 where he sported golden wings and was carried in by a gaggle of hot shirtless men. In a new interview with SiriusXM’s Beverly Smith, Porter said he won’t go “where I’m not welcome.”
“I’m good. It’s all good,” he said. “But the reality is when people ask me, you need to know I was not invited and I’m good, and I don’t go to places where I’m not welcome.”
Bella Hadid
Model Bella Hadid has attended the star-studded event five times before, but this year, it looks like she’ll be staying home in protest of Bezos sponsoring The Met Gala and being an honorary chair. While she hasn’t made a public statement, Hadid “liked” an Instagram post on Friday captioned, “I love the ICE out pins but you can’t wear them to the @jeffbezos backed Met Gala!”
John Krasinski
The Devil Wears Prada 2 star Emily Blunt is attending the Met Gala, but her husband, actor John Krasinski, is skipping this year after it was rumored that he would be wearing an important LA-based menswear designer on the red carpet, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande attended last year’s event alongside her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo, but this year she’s skipping out due to work commitments and a busy schedule.
Florence Welch
Singer-songwriter Florence Welch won’t be in attendance this year because she and her group Florence + The Machine have a scheduled concert on the same night.
Blake Lively
Actress Blake Lively has historically been a fixture of the Met Gala’s red carpet but after not attending last year, she was reportedly left off of this year’s invite list all together.
