The 10 Most Unforgettable, Controversial Met Gala Moments

While all eyes are supposed to be on the fashion and the art, it’s hard for the world not to hone in on any snubs, side glances and general drama taking place both on and off the red carpet.

Kim Kardashian was not invited to the Met Gala until 2013, with fashion editor and annual host, Anna Wintour, determined to keep her off the invitation list. It seems that her reality-star status was not impressive enough to land her on the list, with the event initially reserved for A-list celebrities only.

As we know, Wintour finally came around in 2013, and invited Kim who attended with her then-husband, Kanye West. This year marks the first time that the entire Kardashian-Jenner clan has been asked to the Met, with Khloé and Kourtney finally receiving an invitation after being snubbed for the past few years.

The world was in complete shock when Jay-Z got into a fight with Solange (Beyoncé’s sister) in an elevator at the 2014 Met Gala. It wasn’t long before TMZ got a hold of the footage which quickly turned viral. In the video, Solange can be seen hitting Jay-Z with her purse and yelling at him, while Beyoncé stands by and doesn’t do much to intervene.

A few days later, the family released a joint statement via Associated Pressaddressing the incident.

“As a result of the public release of the elevator security footage from Monday, May 5th [2014], there has been a great deal of speculation about what triggered the unfortunate incident,” the statement read. “But the most important thing is that our family has worked through it. Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred. They both acknowledge their role in this private matter that has played out in the public. They both have apologized to each other and we have moved forward as a united family.”

The 2014 Met Gala wasn’t short on entertainment, with a streaker attempting to run down the Met Gala red carpet in a bright pink mankini. After just 15 minutes, the unidentified man was dragged off by security, but not before already causing a huge scene.

Demi Lovato made an abrupt exit from the 2016 Met Gala after describing someone as a “complete bitch,” to her at the party. According to Lovato, the unnamed celebrity caused them to leave and head straight to an AA meeting, as her desire to drink was overwhelming due to her anxiety.

“This one celebrity was a complete b— and was miserable to be around. It was very cliquey. I remember being so uncomfortable that I wanted to drink,” Demi revealed in a Billboard cover story in 2018.

According to reports, the celebrity in question was Nicki Minaj.

At the 2017 Met Gala, The Weeknd and Selena Gomez made a couple appearance, looking very loved-up and displaying major PDA. This would all be fine if The Weeknd’s ex-girlfriend, Bella Hadid wasn’t also in attendance. Having only broken up in late 2016, the heartbreak may still have been fresh, so it was likely unpleasant for Bella to watch the kissing and canoodling.

Tina Fey has made one Met Gala attendance in 2010, but was quick to slam the event for being insufferable. During a 2015 interview with David Letterman, the actress described the star-studded soiree as a “jerk parade.”

Every jerk from every walk of life is there, wearing some stupid thing … It’s just everybody, if you had a million arms, it’s all the people you would punch in the whole world,” she infamously told the talk show host.

During the 2017 Met, a group of well-known celebrities, including Bella Hadid and Dakota Johnson, congregated in the bathrooms to smoke a few cigarettes. After footage and photos emerged on social media, the internet was quick to condemn their actions and disrespectful and inconsiderate, given their proximity to incredibly valuable artwork.

“We were dismayed to read reports that some celebrities chose smoking as their fashion accessory and flagrantly violated New York City’s smoking laws,” the Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett wrote in a letter to the Met’s senior vice president at the time .

The museum later issued their own statement saying that the violation happened “by a small number of guests,” and that the museum will “take steps to ensure this does not happen again.”

Kendall Jenner certainly turned heads at the 2017 Met Gala when she arrived in a nearly-naked, crystal-encrusted, sheer dress. Ella’s thong-back drew in mixed reactions, with some praising her confidence and others criticizing the inappropriate design.

The reality-star appeared unbothered by the reception, making a statement at the time which read:

It’s pretty sexual, but, yeah, it’s cool. It’s like, it’s very like, I don’t know. I always like something that’s a little controversial, so, that’s kind of that,.”

Designer Tom Ford was vocal about his disdain for the attire of some celebrity’s throwing shade specifically at Katy Perry’s 2019 Gala look which saw her transform into a human chandelier.

“It’s turned into a costume party,” he said of the way the Met Gala has evolved. “You didn’t have to dress like a hamburger, you didn’t have to arrive in a van where you were standing up because you couldn’t sit down because you wore a chandelier,” he said in an excerpt of Anna Wintour’s book, Anna: The Biography..

Sarah Jessica Parker’s headpiece at the 2015 Met Gala, which was themed ‘China: Through the Looking Glass,’ caused a tidal wave of backlash, with some arguing it was racially insensitive and bordered on cultural appropriation.

The headpiece was slammed for perpetuating the hurtful “dragon lady” stereotype that sexualizes and villainizes Chinese women.