It is the unmissable event at which fashion elites and Hollywood stars mingle in the cavernous halls of New York’s Metropolitan Museum.
Now celebrities are under pressure to spurn their $100,000 tickets and boycott the event after its sponsorship by Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos.
Prominent figures including Meryl Streep and Zendaya will not attend the ball on Monday evening – regarded as fashion’s biggest night of the year – after Mr Bezos reportedly lavished an eight-figure sum to co-host and sponsor the event.
Posters urging a boycott have popped up at various locations near the museum, highlighting Amazon’s alleged breaches of employee rights and alignment with the Trump administration.
Jeff Bezos has reportedly spent an eight-figure sum to sponsor the event with his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos – Kevin Mazur/MG24
Streep’s absence is seen as particularly significant because the gala takes place just days after the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2, in which she plays a fictionalised version of Anna Wintour, the former Vogue editor who has presided over the event since 1995.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Streep was rumoured to have been invited to co-chair the event this year, but declined.
Amy Odell, the Wintour biographer, suggested that Streep – an outspoken Democrat and critic of Donald Trump – turned down the invitation because she was opposed to Bezos’s involvement.
“Meryl has been invited to the Met Gala for many years but has never attended,” a representative for the Sophie’s Choice actress told The Independent. “While she appreciates Vogue, Anna, and her incredible imagination and stamina, it has never quite been her scene.”
Nevertheless, it marks a notable absence after Streep, who plays the Devil Wears Prada’s haughty fashion doyenne Miranda Priestly, has embarked on a media tour to promote the film with Wintour.
Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour have been seen together promoting The Devil Wears Prada 2 – TheStewartofNY
Streep’s daughters, Grace and Mamie Gummer, will reportedly attend the gala, alongside her co-stars Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci.
Another notable absence is Zendaya, the Challengers actress who has attended the ball for seven consecutive years. According to Elle, she decided to sit it out following a gruelling schedule of press appearances to promote The Drama and the third series of HBO’s Euphoria.
There are also suggestions that Lady Gaga, who still has not been officially confirmed as attending, could shun the gala this year.
Critics claim Bezos and Sanchez Bezos, who married in Venice in June, have bought their way into the Met Gala by spending at least $10m to sponsor it. Both will be “honorary co-chairs” on Monday night.
Wintour has attempted to downplay the backlash over the couple’s involvement, telling CNN in November: “I think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event.
“I’m very grateful for her incredible generosity, and she’s a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion, so we’re thrilled she’s part of the night.”
Zohran Mamdani, New York’s socialist mayor, has confirmed that he will not attend the event, steering clear of potential controversy.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Left-wing congresswoman, faced a backlash in 2021 when she appeared at the elite gathering in a dress reading “tax the rich”.
Zohran Mamdani, New York’s socialist mayor, has confirmed that he will not attend the event – Angelina Katsanis/Bloomberg
Posters emblazoned with slogans that include “Boycott the Bezos Met Gala” have appeared in New York, installed by an activist group called Everyone Hates Elon – a reference to Elon Musk, the SpaceX, Tesla and X billionaire.
Hundreds of bottles of yellow liquid were reportedly dropped around the Metropolitan Museum, seemingly a jab at reports that Amazon employees had to urinate in bottles to keep up with delivery requirements.
Bezos has also faced criticism over claims he has worked to curry favour with Mr Trump, who hosted the Amazon founder as a guest of honour at his second inauguration in January last year.
In January, Amazon released a documentary of Melania Trump, having paid some $40m to the US first lady’s production company to secure the rights. Executives are also considering reviving The Apprentice, the reality TV show formerly hosted by Mr Trump, with his son Donald Trump Jr at the helm.
Amazon bosses are considering a relaunch ofg The Apprentice with Donald Trump Jr taking his father’s starring role – Shawn Thew/Shutterstock
In a case of art mirroring life, characters from The Devil Wears Prada 2 are widely regarded to have been inspired by Bezos and Sanchez Bezos.
The film’s plot revolves around a tech titan who plans to take over Runway – a stand-in for Vogue – to install his girlfriend, played by Emily Blunt, as its editor. Priestly, Streep’s character, finds her power waning as the magazine’s revenue declines.
Bezos is rumoured to be considering buying Condé Nast, Vogue’s parent company. When asked about the reports in an interview with The New York Times, Sanchez Bezos responded “I wish”, before denying the suggestions.
Despite calls for a boycott, the gala appears to have no shortage of celebrity star-power behind it ahead of Monday. It is co-chaired by Beyonce, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams, the former tennis player.
The gala committee will feature singer Sabrina Carpenter, musician Doja Cat, and ballerina Misty Copeland among others.
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