The Met Gala is one of the most exclusive parties in the world. Here are some celebrities who have been banned from attending the elaborate affair.
You know what the first Monday in May means: Your Instagram feed is typically flooded with gowns, crowns, and red-carpet photos of celebrities arriving at the steps of the Met Gala. But what many don’t know is that several stars have actually been banned from the festivities.
The point of each year’s elaborate affair is technically to support the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute, which dictates a specific theme. For 2023, the theme is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” and we’re excited to see what that means to each of the stars and their designers.
But who won’t be dressing up to the nines this year? Here is a list of everyone who’s been banned from attending the Met Gala.
As we’ve mentioned, the highlights of the super exclusive event are the outfits and the drama. First off, the stakes are super high because invitations are extremely hard to come upon, and even if you magically manage to nab one (you won’t), ticket prices range from $30,000 to $50,000. This is why it’s better to be invited directly by a reputable designer who’s already splurged between $275,000 and upwards of $500,000 for a table.
Who is banned from the Met Gala?
But even if you’re BFFs with Donatella, every Met Gala guest has to be approved by Anna Wintour. And guess what? She won’t hesitate to pass up, disinvite, or even straight-up ban people she doesn’t like from attending. Because it’s her party (it has been since 1995), and she can do what she wants.
Tim Gunn
Though you might assume that all of the most important names in fashion could put their differences aside to share the most anticipated party of the year, you obviously know better than that. Cattiness and pettiness reign the industry. Tim Gunn used to enjoy attending Met Galas until 2006 when his invitation got rescinded indefinitely.
“I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I’ve ever seen in fashion,” he dished to E!’s Fashion Police. “And I said, ‘It’s easy, it was watching Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards from a fashion show.'” After he disclosed his most “unforgettable” fashion memory to The Post, Vogue immediately asked for a retraction, which Tim refused.
As he tells it, that marked the moment when he officially became persona non grata in Anna’s book. “All hell broke loose,” he revealed, “We’ve had an open war ever since.”
Josh Hartnett
If you’re wondering what happened to Josh Hartnett and why you haven’t thought of him in all these years, well, let’s say Anna Wintour can relate. Though he’s attended Met Galas before, Anna doesn’t find him relevant anymore. Fans of hers, or those fascinated with the Met Gala might have caught wind of this drama in the 2016 documentary The First Monday in May.
Calvin Klein calls Vogue requesting to dress Josh Hartnett and have him sit at his table. “What has he done lately? Nothing. You guys are all set,” was Vogue‘s thanks-but-no-thanks response.
Rachel Zoe
You won’t see celebrity stylist and fashion designer Rachel Zoe getting her own table at the gala any time soon. The former Bravo series star was once invited to Brian Atwood’s table at the 2007 gala but was disinvited shortly thereafter.
Awkward much? Although Anna doesn’t need any kind of formal reason to cut guests from her party, we’re thinking she didn’t love it when Rachel told The New York Times that “Anna Wintour is one of my heroes, but they say I’m more influential.” Hmmmm …
Coco Rocha
Supermodel Coco Rocha was a staple on the Met Gala red carpet for years. But when Katy Perry was invited to co-chair the 2017 Comme des Garçons-themed gala, things got personal. Though Anna oversees the whole affair, she also bestows some of her power (and pettiness) to the VIPs who co-host with her each year.
Recall that back in 2013, Coco accused Katy of copying her style when the “Dark Horse” singer wore the exact same Emanual Ungaro gown Coco had donned at that year’s Met Gala just a couple of months earlier. Flash forward four years, and Katy got her payback.
But wait, it gets even more intense! Although Coco had attended the gala several times before not getting invited in 2017, she will likely never get to see that red carpet again. As one anonymous socialite who’s attended the Met Gala several times told Page Six, “Once you [miss one year], you’re not invited back unless you’re triple A-list.”
Gwyneth Paltrow
In 2013, Gwyneth Paltrow was quoted in USA Today on her time at the annual event.
“I’m never going again.” said the Goop creator and ski-incident court case victor. “It was so un-fun. It was boiling. It was too crowded. I did not enjoy it at all.”
Despite this sentiment, the Oscar award winner did attend in 2017 and 2019 — totaling her Met Gala appearance to seven times.
Zayn Malik
Former One Direction member Zayn Malik spoke about his experience in GQ Magazine back in 2018. Malik had previously attended the charity event in 2016.
“Now, it’s not something I would go to.” Malik told GQ. “I’d rather be sitting at my house, doing something productive, than dressing up in really expensive clothes and being photographed on a red carpet … To do the self-indulgent ‘Look at me, I’m amazing’ thing on the red carpet, it’s not me.”
Amy Schumer
In a 2016 interview with Howard Stern, comedian Amy Schumer said that it was like “punishment” to go to the Met Gala.
“It’s people doing an impression of having a conversation. I don’t like the farce,” she said. “I have no interest in fashion.”
Tina Fey
Fellow comedian Tina Fey shared Schumer’s sentiment in a 2010 interview with talk show host David Letterman, describing the gala as a “jerk parade.”
“I went and I dragged my husband along with me too, which I’m still in trouble for,” she said.
“Everyone is there, everyone. If you had a million arms, all the people you would want to punch are there,” she continued. “Clearly I will never go again.”
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato spoke with Billboard in 2018, detailing her experience. She described it as “terrible” and “cliquey,” and said that one celebrity was specifically miserable to be around.
“I remember being so uncomfortable that I wanted to drink,” said Lovato, who has struggled with addiction in the past.
“I changed my clothes, but I still had my diamonds on — millions of dollars of diamonds on in an AA meeting. And I related more to the homeless people in that meeting who struggled with the same struggles that I deal with than the people at the Met Gala.”
Donald Trump
When Anna Wintour went on The Late Late Show with James Corden a little over a year ago, the CBS host asked her “Who would you never invite back to the Met Gala?” After pausing for a beat, Anna simply answered, “Donald Trump.”
The 45th president attended the flashy party many times and even used the star-studded event to propose to Melania (then Knauss) in 2004. According to Newsweek, “Trump proposed with a 13-karat diamond ring worth almost $3 million — but he quickly informed people he got the ring for half-price.”
Yeah, that kind of tackiness is not going to fly under Anna’s watch ever again, she does have lots of rules for attending the gala, it seems.
