Monday’s Met Gala has sparked fierce backlash from some protesters over Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos’ sponsorship, with high-profile critics including model Bella Hadid and actress Taraji P. Henson, who have both attended the exclusive arts fundraiser in the past.
Key Takeaways
- Hadid, a model who has attended several prior Met Gala events and has appeared on dozens of Vogue covers, liked a video on Instagram calling out celebrities who plan to attend this year’s gala, particularly those who may wear “ICE OUT” protest pins, noting Bezos’ ties to President Donald Trump.
- Actress Taraji P. Henson, who attended last year’s Met Gala, said in a comment on the same Instagram video: “I am so confused by some ppl that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING!?!?!?!” while also reposting a picture to her Instagram story calling out the vast wealth disparity between Bezos and Amazon warehouse workers.
- Actress Cara Delevingne also liked the same Instagram video, though Delevingne is slated to co-host the Met Gala’s red carpet livestream.
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed he would not attend this year’s Met Gala—as multiple predecessors, including previous mayor Eric Adams, have done—saying in an interview he wants to focus on “affordability and making the most expensive city in the United States affordable.”
- Other celebrities expected not to attend this year, who have not made explicit criticisms of Bezos’ sponsorship, include frequent attendee Zendaya, whom Elle reported will skip the event, and Meryl Streep, whose representatives told multiple outlets she will also not attend, despite speculation she may make an appearance as “The Devil Wears Prada 2” plays in theaters.
What Do We Know About Bezos’ Involvement In The Met Gala?
Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, are honorary chairs of this year’s Met Gala and are the event’s lead sponsors. Bezos has served as honorary chair once before, in 2012, though his sponsorship this year comes as he and Sánchez Bezos, whom he married last year, exert wider influence over fashion. Sánchez Bezos unveiled her wedding dress on a digital cover of Vogue last year, and their wedding in Venice, Italy, was packed with fashion designer and model guests. Anna Wintour, Condé Nast’s chief content officer and the Met Gala’s longtime curator, defended the billionaire couple’s involvement in an interview with CNN in November, calling the couple a “wonderful asset to the museum and the event.” Wintour called Sánchez Bezos a “great lover of costume and obviously of fashion” and said she is “very grateful for her incredible generosity.”
How Have People Protested The “Bezos Met Gala”?
In recent weeks, posters have popped up around New York urging people to “boycott the Bezos Met Gala.” An activist group called Everyone Hates Elon, whose name is a reference to billionaire Elon Musk, has urged a boycott of the event and has frequently posted critical content about the gala to its more than 230,000 Instagram followers. Over the weekend, the group installed about 300 bottles of fake urine inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a reference to complaints by Amazon workers that they have had to urinate in bottles instead of taking bathroom breaks, the New York Times reported. The group also projected anti-Bezos messages on buildings near the billionaire’s New York penthouse, including one video depicting a 72-year-old Amazon warehouse worker named Mary Hill, who reminded Bezos “if it weren’t for every associate in every Amazon facility, he wouldn’t have all those zeros behind his name.”
Who Is Actually Attending This Year’s Met Gala?
Billionaire musician Beyoncé is expected to attend as one of this year’s co-chairs, alongside fellow chairs Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Wintour. The gala also appointed a star-studded host committee that includes Zoe Kravitz, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Teyana Taylor, Lena Dunham, Lisa, Sam Smith and A’ja Wilson. It’s unclear exactly which celebrities made this year’s guest list, though Page Six reported billionaire and regular attendee Kim Kardashian will attend, as will Hailey Bieber and Gabrielle Union. Law Roach, a stylist known for curating Zendaya’s image, confirmed to Elle he will attend the event solo this year, a departure from previous galas in which he supports clients he’s styled.
Forbes Valuation
Forbes estimates Bezos is worth $277.1 billion as of Monday afternoon, making him the fourth-richest person in the world. He owns 8% of Amazon, which he founded in 1994. Bezos also owns The Washington Post and space company Blue Origin.
Key Background
The Met Gala has long served as a primary fundraiser for the Costume Institute at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first Met Gala was held in 1948, when it was a more low-key dinner party, but it evolved into a star-studded celebrity event under the direction of former Vogue editor Diana Vreeland in the 1970s. Wintour began co-chairing the Met Gala in the 1990s, and it is now considered the “Super Bowl” of fashion, as onlookers wait to see celebrity costumes. This year, tickets to the Met Gala cost $100,000, the New York Times reported, a $25,000 increase from the year prior.
This article was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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