The Met Gala has had some of the most defining moments of pop culture history in the 2000s: Solange and Jay-Z’s elevator fight, Kim Kardashian’s “couch dress” while pregnant with North, and Madonna’s “political statement” (a butt-less dress). Of course, they all happened during or after they graced the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
You’ll note that a lot of the drama tends to go down after the event itself and once the afterparty kicks off — or doesn’t, as was the case for Eddie Redmayne and Tom Sturridge when they were turned away from Rihanna’s 1 Oak bash in 2017. In some cases, the scandal is just in the arrival, like Elon Musk and Grimes’ triumphant red carpet reveal of their relationship in 2018. At the Met Gala, hosted each year by Vogue‘s Anna Wintour, the guest list alone has caused decades worth of drama in who does and doesn’t make the cut, with Kim Kardashian admitting in a 2019 Vogue video that she knew “no one really wanted me there at the time” when she was first invited in 2013.
That’s the other thing: it’s not just getting in that can be brutal, but having a good time. Gwyneth Paltrow, Tina Fey, and Lena Dunham have all spoken out about not enjoying themselves whatsoever at this star-studded event.
“It is such a jerk parade,” Fey told David Letterman in 2015. “Every jerk from every walk of life is there, wearing, like, some stupid thing. . . I dragged my husband along with me, which I’m still in trouble for. Clearly, I’ll never go again.”
With all that in mind, perhaps we should judge these attendees less harshly, either for their attire or the unusual behavior they might exhibit. After all, it sounds like they’re under a lot of stress…
Read on for the scandalous moments from Met Gala’s past that made headlines for years to come.
The Karl Lagerfeld Controversy
Before it even happened, the 2023 Met Gala was already stirring some controversy. It all started when the theme, which was “in honor of Karl,” inspired by the late Karl Lagerfeld’s work, was announced.
“Why is THIS who we celebrate when there are so many AMAZING designers out there who aren’t bigoted white men?” Jameela Jamil wrote on Instagram. “What happened to everyone’s principles and ‘advocacy.’ You don’t get to stand for justice in these areas, and then attend the celebration of someone who reveled in his own public disdain for marginalized people.”
Among the beyond problematic comments Lagerfeld has made in the past are his stance against plus-size models, Syrian immigrants and him saying he was “fed up” with the #MeToo movement.
Solange & Jay-Z’s Elevator Fight
The year was 2014, and the players were Solange Knowles, Beyoncé, and husband Jay-Z, who had no idea they were about to make history. At the afterparty that night, Solange was seen attacking Jay-Z while Beyoncé stood by in the elevator at the Standard Hotel, from which security footage later leaked. The couple ultimately issued a statement and Beyoncé later addressed the incident in her song “Flawless,” singing: “Of course sometimes s– go down when there’s a billion dollars on an elevator.”
With the release of Lemonade in 2016 and Bey coming clean about Jay-Z’s infidelity, many of course suspected the elevator altercation had started there.
Madonna’s Assless Dress
Madonna, being Madonna, made headlines at the 2016 “Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” Met Gala with this assless Givenchy dress. After some backlash, she addressed haters in an Instagram caption: “My dress at the Met Ball was a political statement as well as a fashion statement. The fact that people actually believe a woman is not allowed to express her sexuality and be adventurous past a certain age is proof that we still live in an age-ist and sexist society.” Mic drop!
Minaj Versus Lovato
Also during 2016’s gala, rapper Nicki Minaj and singer Demi Lovato attended the event together with their designer Jeremy Scott. And though the three looked good together in pictures, it looks like the story was quite different behind the scenes.
After the night, Minaj went on to post a picture of three of them but only tagged Scott and not Lovato. The “Skyscraper” singer then commented with a laughing emoji, a peace sign, and a thumbs up, before posting a since-deleted photo of her own in which Minaj was giving her major side-eye. “This picture pretty much summed up my first and probably last met 😂😂😂.”
In 2018, Lovato opened up to Billboard about the tense night. “I had a terrible experience,” they said. “This one celebrity was a complete b— and was miserable to be around. It was very cliquey. I remember being so uncomfortable that I wanted to drink.” Lovato has been open about their struggles with addiction in the past. According to the singer, they then left the Gala and immediately attended an AA meeting.
Reese Witherspoon Drunkenly Saying ‘Delevingne’
While we know Reese Witherspoon as an incredible actress, mom, producer and even bookworm, this 2014 elevator video of her trying to say Cara Delevingne’s last name at the 2014 Met Gala might be one of our favorite moments of her ever. The Southern twang is out in full swing as she tells the other stars that “the most important thing about a name, for a girl, is that a man can whisper it in his pillow.” Spicy, Reese!
Dakota Johnson, Bella Hadid, & More Sneaking Cigarettes in the Bathroom
No, there isn’t a smoking section at the Met Gala — but some photos from the 2017 event would have you thinking otherwise. That fateful year, Dakota Johnson, Bella Hadid, Marc Jacobs, Paris Jackson, Rami Malek, and more celebs were caught on camera smoking cigarettes in the bathroom, much to the outrage of Met donors and board members who found out about the incident.
“As a donor to the Met, I was so insulted to see all these ‘celebrities’ smoking and taking selfies of themselves in the bathroom,” an anonymous source told Page Six at the time. “Mostly, it’s disrespectful to the art collection which needs to be kept 100 percent smoke-free. I would honestly like to see these people fined by the city.”
Taylor Swift Hitting It Off With Tom Hiddleston
Taylor Swift was with boyfriend Calvin Harris when she went to the 2016 Met Gala, but sparks were definitely flying with British actor (and boyfriend-to-be) Tom Hiddleston. During the event, they were filmed having quite a memorable impromptu dance moment together. A month later, Swift and Harris called it quits — and by June of that year, the short-lived HiddleSwift was in full swing.
Grimes & Elon Musk’s Red Carpet Debut
Look, this just isn’t a couple we saw coming. At the 2018 “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination” Met Gala, Grimes went full goth-girlfriend to Elon Musk’s supervillain billionaire boyfriend, and the two proud parents of X Æ A-12 made their official debut.
Kim Kardashian’s ‘Couch Dress’
Kim Kardashian attended the Met Gala for the very first time in 2013 when she was pregnant with her eldest daughter North West, and the reception was….not great. Many got the idea that Kardashian resembled a couch, and a “couch dress” meme was born, which the star admitted in a 2019 Vogue video made her cry.
“I was crying the whole way home. Because I just couldn’t believe it,” the SKIMS founder recalled. “There were all these memes about me and this couch.”
Even Robin Williams got in on the fun, comparing her to Mrs. Doubtfire. Safe to say it just wasn’t the glamorous debut Kardashian had had in mind. She’s since said that she doesn’t think the body-shaming she endured while pregnant “would really fly today,” and we wonder if this incident was on her mind when she did.
Eddie Redmayne’s Afterparty Rejection
Eddie Redmayne and wife Hannah Bagshawe’s 2017 Met Gala didn’t go quite according to plan when they showed up to Rihanna’s 1 Oak afterparty only to be denied access — twice, according to an E! News source at the time. (As a reminder, Redmayne was already an Oscar winner at that point!)
Pal Tom Sturridge similarly did not find his name on the list, and eventually gave up and went home.
AOC’s ‘Tax the Rich’ Dress
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez made a statement at the 2021 Met Gala when she showed up in a custom Brother Vellies ivory wool jacket dress with the text “Tax the Rich” emblazoned in red across her back. And while the politician was merely making a statement she believes in politically, it’s safe to say the outfit rubbed many people the wrong way.
Donald Trump Jr., for example, tweeted at the time how ironic her statement was because, at the Met Gala, she’ll be “hanging out with a bunch of wealthy leftwing elites,” per The New York Times.
Regardless of the backlash, Cortez stood by her choice. “The medium is the message,” AOC wrote on Instagram at the time. “The time is now for childcare, healthcare, and climate action for all. Tax the Rich.”
She then clarified that she was invited to the event for free given her position. “And yes, BEFORE anybody starts wilding out – NYC elected officials are regularly invited to and attend the Met due to our responsibilities in overseeing our city’s cultural institutions that serve the public,” she wrote. “I was one of several in attendance.”
Kim Kardashian Borrowing From Marilyn Monroe
In 2022, the Met Gala theme was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” And, following the theme, Kim Kardashian borrowed a piece from one of America’s most notable figures, Marilyn Monroe.
But while Kardashian looked beautiful in the vintage Jean Louis worn by Monroe at President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 birthday fundraiser, her choice was heavily criticized on social media.
In addition to some criticizing Kardashian’s glorification of diet culture (she went on an extreme diet to fit into the dress), many hated her wearing the dress and risking any damage to it. Scott Fortner, for example, a collector who authenticates and verifies Monroe memorabilia, shared pictures of the dress following the Met Gala appearance in a significantly worsened state, with fabric torn and some crystals missing, with others “left hanging by a thread,” per Forbes.
“So much for keeping ‘the integrity of the dress and the preservation,'” he wrote on Instagram. “@ripleysbelieveitornot , was it worth it?”
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