The Met Gala is technically a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but let’s be honest: It’s mostly an excuse for a bunch of super-famous celebrities to dress in beautifully designed outfits and socialize with each other. While this obviously sounds like a blast, some celebrities are simply not into it and, incidentally, have made their feelings known.
While Met Gala co-chair Anna Wintour has only admitted to indefinitely banning one person from the annual event, plenty of stars are rumored to be banned due to comments they’ve made about the fundraiser. Meanwhile, some others have made it clear they just don’t wish to attend again.
Here are the celebrities you probably shouldn’t expect to show up on the steps of the Met next year—and the ones who have made surprise returns.
Rachel Zoe
There were rumors that fashion designer Rachel Zoe was nixed from the Met Gala invite list after she told the The New York Times in 2007 that she had more influence than the event’s longtime organizer. “Anna Wintour is one of my heroes, but they say that I’m more influential,” Zoe said. “As great as it is, Vogue won’t change a designer’s business. But if an unknown brand is worn by a certain person in a tabloid, it will be the biggest designer within a week.”
That said, it’s important to note that the comments she made were from way back in 2007 and she later attended the Met Gala in 2012.
Donald Trump
Anna Wintour herself confirmed that the president was banned during an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2017. When asked which celebrity she would never invite to the Met Gala again, she replied, “Donald Trump.”
At the point, Trump had already stopped attending the event, making his last appearance in 2012. Before that, he and his wife, Melania Trump, were regulars.
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer’s statement on the Met Gala didn’t seem get her banned permanently, but the comedian made it clear how she felt about the event during an interview with Howard Stern in 2016. “It’s people doing an impression of having a conversation. I don’t like the farce... We’re dressed up like a bunch of f––ing a––holes,” she said. “I don’t like it. I have no interest in fashion... I don’t care.”
Tim Gunn
We know for sure fashion guru Tim Gunn was banned from the Met Gala because he said as much in 2016. “It is very true. It is a crazy story, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a very matter-of-fact story,” he told E! News at the time. “I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I’ve ever seen in fashion and I said, ‘It’s easy. It was watching Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards—two big hulking men—from a fashion show.’ All hell broke loose. It was insane. We’ve had an open war ever since.”
Gwyneth Paltrow
Actor and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow made some pointed comments about her time at the Met Gala back in 2013, telling the Kyle and Jackie O Show (per Us Weekly) that “it sucked” and “it seems like it’s the best thing in the world... You always think, ‘Oh my god, it’s gonna be so glamorous and amazing and you’re going to see all these people,’ and then you get there and it’s so hot and it’s so crowded and everyone’s pushing you. I think we’re all a bit old to dress up punk.”
Apparently, these comments didn’t go over well, but she returned to the Met Gala in 2017 and 2019, so it looks like it’s water under the bridge.
Zayn Malik
Singer Zayn Malik attended the 2016 Met Gala with his then-girlfriend Gigi Hadid but made it clear he had no interest in a redo. “Now it’s not something I would go to,” he told GQ in 2018. “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.”
Tina Fey
Another comedian who simply doesn’t love the Met Gala is Tina Fey. “I have gone to it once, and it is such a jerk parade,” she told David Letterman in 2015. “Clearly, I’ll never go again, but you go and it’s this beautiful space and it’s just every jerk from every walk of life is there wearing some stupid thing. You walk up these huge steps… and I went and I dragged my husband along with me too, which I’m still in trouble for.”
Lili Reinhart
Riverdale actor Lili Reinhart most recently attended the Met Gala in 2022 but has openly admitted she doesn’t believe she’ll be invited back after criticizing Kim Kardashian’s rapid weight loss to fit into the dress Marilyn Monroe famously donned to serenade John F. Kennedy for his 45th birthday.
In the days after the event, Reinhart took to her Instagram Stories to call out Kardashian, writing: “To openly admit to starving yourself for the sake of the Met Gala. When you know very well that millions of young men and women are looking up to you and listening to your every word. The ignorance is otherworldly disgusting.” She also urged the public to “stop supporting” celebrities who base their image on their bodies.
In a subsequent interview with W Magazine, Reinhart took a moment to open up about the evening, revealing that it “was fun, but after going again this year, I don’t think I’ll be invited back... I said a certain something about a certain person in a certain dress.”
Mehera Bonner is a celebrity and entertainment news writer who enjoys Bravo and Antiques Roadshow with equal enthusiasm, She was previously entertainment editor at Marie Claire and has covered pop culture for over a decade.
