May 6, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
On May 4, America’s glitziest night returned with the annual Met Gala fashion display. This year, however, it left a sour aftertaste in viewers’ mouths.
The fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, always hosted on the first Monday in May, provides red carpet moments for celebrities wearing fashion brands’ most elite work. Over the last decade, its notoriety has grown as Americans have become generally critical of the display of wealth tied to the fashion industry amidst global wars and famine.
This year’s show was rumored to be sponsored for $10 million by Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, as well as his wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos. At the time of the event, protesters were outside with signs condemning Bezos, Amazon, the Met Gala and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Prior to the event, a different group of activists, titled Everyone Hates Elon, left hundreds of bottles of urine inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday to protest Bezos and the claims that Amazon workers are not allowed to take bathroom breaks while working.
Multiple famous names opted out of the event without public comment, one of which was Zendaya, considered the Met Gala’s sweetheart after being co-chair for the 2024 event and debuting in 2015. Her press team told outlets that she was too busy to attend, but fans are skeptical, as multiple other celebrities seemingly skipped out on fashion’s biggest night. The list is long and includes Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Ryan Reynolds, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sydney Sweeney, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez.
Anna Wintour, the Met Gala chair and Vogue editor, expressed joy in Jeff Bezos’ wife Lauren’s role back in November, stating that Lauren loves fashion and would be a great asset.
The couple’s involvement has meant that, for the first time in Met Gala history, the main sponsor would not be a fashion house. Major companies such as TikTok, Amazon and Apple have all sponsored the event in the past, but have not been the primary sponsor.
Another rumor has circulated that Meryl Streep was invited to co-chair, but rejected the opportunity due to the Bezos couple’s sponsorship, although Streep has very rarely attended the event due to it not being “her scene,” according to her team.
The event’s theme was “Fashion is Art.” Typically, the themes are intentionally vague so that artists may draw their own inspiration, usually making for unique and unconventional fashion moves that spread across social media following the event.
Some notable attendees this year include Sabrina Carpenter, Rihanna, the debuts of “Heated Rivalry” stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, Beyonce and her daughter Blue Ivy, Hailey Bieber, Cardi B, Serena Williams, Emma Chamberlain, most of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, Bad Bunny, Madonna, Blake Lively, Rachel Zegler and more.
According to The New York Times, the streets of New York City gathered more and more anti-Amazon signs as the Met Gala day neared closer.
Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor, publicly announced in April that unlike many mayors of the city before him, he would not attend the event and that affordability was his focus. Following his announcement, protest signs such as “Bezos Ball” and “Amazon Prime Gala” started appearing in NYC from community advocates.
Everyone Hates Elon called continuously for a boycott, not only spreading bottles of urine leading into the week of the Met Gala but also posters condemning the event across the city. The night of the event, protesters flashed a large projection onto the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the Bezos penthouse, one of which read, “BOYCOTT THE BEZOS MET GALA.”
Last year, Blakely Thornton was interviewing celebrities on the carpet; this year, he’s avoided the event and called it an “oligarch orchestrated clown show.”
Historically, the Met Gala sprouted in 1948 as a $50 ticket to a midnight dinner for the elite. Now, tickets to attend cost $100,000 for individual viewers. Fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, who was crucial to N.Y. Fashion Week, came up with the idea for the Met Gala to fundraise for the Costume Institute. From there, it became “The Party of The Year,” then in the ‘70s, the first themed fashion show of the Met Gala took place.
It maintained its exclusivity, drama-fueled fashion contest feeling throughout decades of formal clothes showcases.
Jeff Bezos has been heavily criticized in the media for his unethical corporate ownership and over-expensive taste, including the price tag on his wedding to Lauren Sanchez being $50 million. Amazon has high warehouse injury reports and the company itself is able to skirt taxes in general, all while Bezos has grown fond of President Donald Trump in recent years. Following the first assassination attempt on Trump, Bezos referred to him as having “grace and courage.” It was also reported that Bezos donated $1 million to his presidential campaign in 2024.
The ball is set to take place again next year on May 3, 2027. Whether or not the Bezos duo will be involved again is uncertain, but not necessarily unlikely.
Contact the author at howleditorinchief@mail.wou.edu
