It’s the night when fashion, fame, and spectacle collide on the steps of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art — but even the Met Gala, with all its opulence and Instagram-breaking moments, hasn’t lured every star under its spell.
While Rihanna floats across the red carpet like royalty and Zendaya transforms couture into high art, there remains a curious roster of household names who’ve never stepped into the Anna Wintour-curated circus. From revered actors to global musicians and even actual royals, the list of Met Gala no-shows is as fascinating as the guest list itself.
Start with Jennifer Aniston. She’s one of the most recognizable faces in television history — her presence practically synonymous with red carpet class. And yet, not once has she taken that long walk into the Temple of Dendur. It’s not a question of relevance or access. If the Met Gala is about legacy and influence, Aniston ticks every box. But maybe that’s the point: she doesn’t need the Met to validate her status.
Then there’s Tom Holland, who has been quietly redefining what a leading man can be in the Marvel era. Despite dating — and supporting — one of the Gala’s reigning queens, Zendaya, Holland has never donned a themed suit for the benefit’s famously eccentric dress codes. His explanation? Simple. It’s her moment, not his. In a culture addicted to couples-as-content, that kind of grace feels almost subversive.
Other names on the absentee list are even more surprising. Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Adele, and Meryl Streep — each of them icons in their own right — have opted out, despite their fashion bona fides and award-show ubiquity. Helena Bonham Carter, who literally played a Met Gala stylist in Ocean’s 8, has never shown up to the real thing. The irony writes itself.
And while the Met Gala has hosted Princess Diana and Princess Beatrice in the past, newer royals like Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry have all sidestepped the soiree. Perhaps the intersection of monarchy and American fashion spectacle feels like too much of a branding clash — or maybe they simply prefer their couture without the chaos.
LeBron James, notably absent for years, is finally correcting the record this year as an honorary co-chair — proof that some icons eventually do join the party. But others? They remain just out of frame, perhaps deliberately so.
The non-attendance of these stars raises an interesting question: does skipping the Met Gala somehow make you cooler? In a world where exclusivity is everything, resisting the most exclusive event of them all might be the ultimate flex. After all, if you’re Jennifer Aniston, do you really need the staircase?
Maybe not attending says more than showing up ever could.
