Every year, an invitation to the Met Gala is treated as a cultural coronation. But for all its exclusivity, not everyone who could attend actually does. And in 2026, several absences felt particularly telling.
As the first Monday in May unfolded on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, attention inevitably drifted from who wore what to who wasn’t there at all. At an event so tightly curated by Anna Wintour, skipping the night, whether by choice, circumstance or even protest, is always worth investigating.
This year’s event arrived with a notable shift in patronage, with Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos stepping in as lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs alongside Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams.
In the lead-up, Bezos’ involvement drew visible protest across New York, with labour groups staging demonstrations and alternative events including a “Ball Without Billionaires.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji declined their invitations, with Mamdani pointing to affordability and civic priorities over social appearances.
Zendaya, whose Met appearances have historically generated enormous online traction, was also absent this year, though her team has not cited the Bezos sponsorship as the cause.
So, who else skipped this year’s Met Gala? Ahead, every celebrity who chose to sit this one out.
Every Celebrity Absence From The 2026 Met Gala
Zendaya
Last Seen At The Met: 2025
Zendaya, a Met Gala mainstay whose red carpet appearances have become near-definitive of the event itself, skipped this year following an intense press cycle for The Drama and Euphoria.
Her long-time collaborator Law Roach attended solo. “It’s one of the first times in my career that going to the Met is about me,” he said ahead of the evening.
Justin Bieber
Last Seen At The Met: 2021
In 2021, Hailey Bieber made her official Met Gala couple debut alongside her husband, Justin Bieber. The pair opted for a restrained approach, with Hailey in a black Saint Laurent gown and Justin in a classic suit, finished, of course, with bejewelled Crocs.
This year, for the fifth year in a row, Justin skipped the Met Gala while Hailey attended solo, which isn’t entirely surprising. While many hoped his Coachella performance might signal a return to the spotlight, it seems the Met Gala is just not really his thing.
Ariana Grande
Last Seen At The Met: 2024
With a defining year underway, Ariana Grande was notably absent from the 2026 Met Gala. The timing, however, makes sense. As she ushers in a new era, the singer is deep in rehearsals for her upcoming Eternal Sunshine tour, which begins in America this June. While her absence meant no red carpet moment, it points to something more exciting: a return to the stage!
Selena Gomez
Last Seen At The Met: 2018
It’s been eight years since Selena Gomez last attended the Met Gala, and in 2026, she once again skipped fashion’s biggest night. Neither Gomez nor her husband, Benny Blanco (who would have been making his debut) appeared on the red carpet. Instead, Gomez was spotted in Los Angeles over the weekend filming a music video with Becky G, while also promoting Rare Beauty on her socials.
Her last Met appearance in 2018 remains memorable for less-than-glamorous reasons, with Gomez later recalling a tanning mishap that saw her leave the event early.
Dua Lipa
Last Seen At The Met: 2025
Dua Lipa and fiancé Callum Turner made a striking Met Gala debut together last year, but in 2026, the couple skipped the event altogether. Neither appeared on the red carpet, opting instead to spend the weekend in Copenhagen.
Bella Hadid
Last Seen At The Met: 2022
Bella Hadid skipped the Met Gala for a fourth consecutive year, engaging with social media posts critical of the event’s reported ties to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. The supermodel has not attended since 2022’s In America: An Anthology of Fashion, where she wore a corseted leather look with lace tights and gloves.
In recent years, Hadid has stepped back from the spotlight, spending more time in Texas and focusing on her passion for horses. Speaking to Allure in 2024, she reflected on that shift: “After 10 years of modelling, I realised I was putting so much energy and love and effort into something that, in the long run, wasn’t necessarily giving it back to me.”
She added, “For the first time now, I’m not putting on a fake face. If I don’t feel good, I won’t go. If I don’t feel good, I take time for myself.”
Lewis Hamilton
Last Seen At The Met: 2025
While many were hoping for a Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian hard-launch on the Met steps, the F1 star sat this year out. Fresh off the Miami Grand Prix, it seems he had other priorities—and perhaps needed a night off.
Taraji P. Henson
Last Seen At The Met: 2025
Taraji P. Henson is another Met Gala mainstay; however, she sat this year out, appearing to echo Bella Hadid’s stance. After liking the same video critical of the event, she commented, “I am so confused by some ppl that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING!?!?!?!”
Harry Styles
Last Seen At The Met: 2019
While we were hoping to see Harry Styles return to the Met steps alongside his reported fiancée Zoë Kravitz, he skipped this year’s Met Gala, likely due to preparations for his upcoming Together, Together tour. The singer hasn’t attended since 2019, when he served as co-chair.
Taylor Swift
Last Seen At The Met: 2016
Bad news for Swifties: despite rumours she might attend the 2026 Met Gala with Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift was once again a no-show. Reports suggest she’s focused on preparations for her upcoming July wedding—which, fair enough.
Swift hasn’t attended since 2016, when she arrived in a custom silver snakeskin Louis Vuitton minidress with bleached blonde hair.
Meryl Streep
Never Attended
There were whispers that Meryl Streep might make her Met Gala debut this year in honour of The Devil Wears Prada 2, but her representatives quickly shut that down. In a statement to People, they reiterated that the annual event “has never quite been her scene,” despite her admiration for Vogue and Anna Wintour.
While fans have long hoped her close ties to Anna Wintour might eventually coax her to attend fashion’s biggest night, it seems increasingly unlikely the Oscar winner will ever take the Met steps.
Khloé Kardashian
Last Seen At The Met: 2022
Despite making her Met Gala debut in 2022, Khloé Kardashian was not at this year’s Met Gala.
Rumour has it Anna Wintour has long had a complicated relationship with the Kardashian family. While Khloé—and sister Kourtney Kardashian—have made the guest list in the past, they have both since avoided the event altogether.
Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner were all in attendance this year, each opting for markedly different looks, with one detail in common: sculptural, nipple-accented designs built into their garments.
Timothée Chalamet
Last Seen At The Met: 2022
Timothée Chalamet has only attended the Met Gala once, in 2021, when he served as a co-chair for In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.
While he and Kylie Jenner have been a regular fixture on the awards circuit (where he even gave her a heartfelt shoutout during his Critics Choice Awards speech) the couple skipped the Met steps this year.
So where was Timmy instead? Courtside, watching the New York Knicks.
