Naomi Osaka is a Japanese professional tennis player for the 2026 met gala
Image: Instagram
The Met Gala returned, and true to form, it was more than just a red-carpet event; it was a global fashion landmark.
This year’s theme, “Costume Art", put fashion front and centre as an “embodied art form", asking celebrities to treat their bodies like canvases.
Think sculptural gowns, bold silhouettes and pieces that look like they belong in a gallery. The dress code? “Fashion Is Art.”
Open-ended, dramatic and very Met.
It’s also a big year behind the scenes. The Costume Institute is opening its first permanent home, the Condé Nast Galleries, a major shift for fashion history. And the leadership reflects that shift.
This year’s co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams, a strong, all-female lineup marking a cultural pivot. Add sponsors Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, plus a host committee led by Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz, and you can feel the scale.
But here’s where it gets interesting: for all its influence, not everyone in Hollywood has stepped onto those famous Met steps. Some of the biggest names in entertainment have never attended. Not once.
Let’s get into it.
The A-listers who’ve skipped the Met Gala
Surprising, right? It’s the irony of the century. Streep is currently riding the wave of "The Devil Wears Prada 2", yet the woman who brought Miranda Priestly to life has never actually attended the Met.
While she was slated to co-chair in 2020 before the pandemic intervened, her rep tells "People" that the Gala has simply "never quite been her scene".
Apparently, even three Oscars can't cure a lack of interest in the climb.
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2, 2026
Image: The Walt Disney Studios
The Princess of Pop famously skipped 2022 to "get in the tub with my dog and put pjs on."
Her reason for never attending? A relatable combo of hating flying and avoiding the intense media glare.
The princess popstar would rather stay indoors with her dog than attend the biggest fashion event.
Image: Instagram
Royal protocol plays a role here. Very few royals attend. Princess Diana did it in 1996, and Princess Beatrice made an appearance in 2018, but that’s about it.
Royal protocol plays a significant role in her absence; few royals attend the gala.
Image: Instagram
The former boy band star went to the Met Gala in 2016 with Gigi Hadid, but he’s pretty much done with it. He told "GQ" back in 2018 that he thinks the whole thing is a bit shallow and pointless.
He’d much rather stay home and actually do something useful than get all dressed up in pricey clothes just to take photos on a red carpet.
The One Direction singer would rather stay at home and do something productive than attend.
Image: Instagram
No official reason, but timing matters. Whenever she’s not breaking records or residencies, Adele is famously a ghost.
Between her Vegas schedule and her tendency to retreat from the spotlight, the "Rolling in the Deep" singer has yet to make a Met debut.
Despite her chart-topping hits, Adele has never made a Met debut.
Image: Instagram
"The Morning Show" star is famously a "jeans and flip-flops" girl. Aniston recently confessed to Glamour that the sheer gravity of the event, the "mental game" of getting "all purdy" for a room full of peers, gives her major anxiety.
"I get nervous", she admitted, proving that even America’s Sweetheart finds the Met's high-fashion stakes a bit too high.
Known for her laid-back style, Aniston has expressed her anxiety about the high-pressure environment of the Gala.
Image: Instagram
For him, it’s about loyalty. In his track "Sticky," the rapper revealed the logistics behind his absence: "They only givin' n**gas plus ones, so I never pull up to the Met / You know I gotta bring the set."
"For Champagne Papi, it’s an entourage, or it’s a no-go."
The rapper has openly communicated his loyalty to his entourage in his track "Sticky," admitting that he won’t attend unless he can bring his full crew.
Image: Instagram
Simple: she doesn’t enjoy it.
“I don't care if I ever do that again. I don't enjoy it; I never have.”
With straightforward honesty, Fonda simply stated she does not enjoy it.
Image: EPA Franck Robichon
No public reason, but she tends to keep appearances tied to her work or activism.
Although she has maintained a public profile, Jolie tends to keep her appearances linked to her work or activism.
Image: Instagram
A red-carpet power couple, just not at the Met. Interestingly, their kids have attended.
Despite their Hollywood ties, they’ve never gone, and with their quieter lifestyle now, it’s unlikely they will.
According to Anna Wintour, he won’t be invited again. That’s one of the few hard lines in an otherwise fluid guest list.