The Met Gala is regarded as the ultimate night in fashion—where designers and famous faces gather at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for a no-holds-barred style parade, broadcast around the globe. Yet, the annual ball is equally known for its fashion prowess as it is for the absurd antics of its attendees, featuring oft-chronicled feuds, museum rule-breaking, and plenty more.
Scroll down for a list of the most notably chaotic moments stemming from Met Gala’s past.
1996: Princess Diana attends
Princess Diana turned heads when she arrived at the 1996 ‘Christian Dior’ Met Gala in lingerie-inspired attire. Fresh from her public divorce from Princess Charles, her Dior slip dress was a moment, proving that the Royal family really do know their fashion.
2004: Donald Trump’s proposal to Melania
They’re one of the world’s most ogled couples—often for less-than-favourable reasons—but it’s a little-known fact that billionaire developer (and former US President) Donald Trump proposed to wife Melania Trump (née Knauss) at the 2004 Met Gala.
Donald popped the question with an AU$2.4 million ring by Graff Jewellers on the night of the ball—and the future Mrs. Trump could be seen donning the exorbitant piece on the red carpet.
The couple married just under a year later, where Melania wore a Christian Dior by John Galliano dress that would’ve suited the Met ball on its own accord.
2014: Solange and Jay-Z
The drama between Beyoncé’s sister Solange Knowles and Jay-Z on the night of the 2014 Met Gala spread around the globe immediately, and instantly became tabloid fodder for a plethora of cheating rumours.
Days after the 2014 ball, security footage was obtained by TMZ showing Solange physically attack Jay-Z in an elevator with his wife Beyoncé, and a member of security trying to bring a halt to the confrontation.
While Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Solange have been hesitant to discuss what actually caused the mysterious fight, Beyoncé finally addressed rumours of her husband’s infidelity on her 2016 album Lemonade—leading many to believe Jay-Z’s cheating was what provoked the elevator scuffle. But, like much of the Knowles-Carter family’s lives, the true specifics are anyone’s guess.
2015: Beyoncé’s last-minute hair change
While Beyoncé looked undoubtedly ethereal at the 2015 gala in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, her voluminous high-pony was definitely not part of the original look; and almost resulted in her missing the gala altogether.
Reportedly, Ms. Carter decided against her original hairstyle en-route to the red carpet, and the now-famous high ponytail was the result of a heated five-minute swapover by her hairstylist Neal Farinah. She and husband Jay-Z were unsurprisingly the final arrival at the gala—but her tardiness was overshadowed by what’s now become a historic Met moment.
2016: Demi Lovato and Nicki Minaj
In a 2018 Billboard profile, Demi Lovato elaborated on her lukewarm experience attending the 2016 gala (pictured in custom Moschino with Nicki Minaj and Jeremy Scott). She outlined the exclusive behaviour of a single celebrity, whom she declined to name; however, people were quick to assume Lovato was talking about Nicki Minaj, who she attended with.
A recovering alcoholic, Lovato said “This one celebrity was a complete b—h and was miserable to be around. It was very cliquey. I remember being so uncomfortable that I wanted to drink.”
Later in the interview, Lovato said she attended an AA meeting after the gala, and that she “related more to the homeless people in that meeting who struggled with the same struggles that I deal with than the people at the Met Gala—fake and sucking the fashion industry’s d–k.”
2017: Bathroom smoking
Yes, even celebutante Met Gala attendees can face condemnation from New York City health authorities.
The 2017 gala saw celebrities flood social media with footage of themselves smoking in the Metropolitan Museum’s bathrooms; leading to outrage from New York City health commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett. All celebrities involved were served with a legal letter condemning their behaviour, which also threatened the patrolling of future Met Galas by New York City authorities.
Bassett also said, “When young people see glamorous stars smoking and flouting the law, it undermines the progress that has been made in de-normalising smoking and increasing awareness of smoking’s health risks.”
Every Year: Tim Gunn
Project Runway host and ex-Parsons chair Tim Gunn has long been vocal about his disdain for the Met Gala as a whole; and especially for event chair Anna Wintour. Gunn cited an experience where he was uninvited from the gala because he recounted an occasion he saw Wintour be carried down two flights of stairs by her security guards.
Since then, Gunn has been especially dismissive of Wintour’s public persona; even calling her a “history revisionist”.
“In her mind it never happened, basically.”
2018: Katy Perry’s open-top arrival
For the 2018 ‘Heavenly Bodies’ theme, Katy Perry stole the show in a set of full-size angel wings. The custom-Versace creation was so elaborate and oversized that she required an open-top vehicle to drop her off at the event, with her theatrical wings on full display for passing pedestrians. She may not have been able to sit down all night, but it was arguably worth it for this iconic moment.
2018: Billy Porter is carried in on a litter
It’s safe to say that nobody has ever made an entrance quite like Billy Porter’s in 2018. Carried in on a litter by six shirtless men, he accessorised the moment with a bejeweled catsuit outfitted with 10-foot wings, a 24-karat gold headpiece.
2018: Selena Gomez
Proving that celebs really are just like us, Selena Gomez suffered an unfortunate fake tan mishap on the night of the Met Gala back in 2018.
Although Selena looked stunning in a regal Coach number, she shared with Vogue that her darker-than-usual complexion was thanks to a fake tan that kept developing:
“As the evening kept going on it was getting a little darker and darker, and I didn’t notice it. I’m at the Met Gala, one of the most prestigious, beautiful events, and I’m walking trying to look all beautiful and I look at a photo of myself when I sit down and I’m completely orange.”
The good sport that she is, Selena shared in the public’s reactions, jokingly posting a video pf herself running on the Met Gala carpet, with the caption: “Me when I saw my pictures from the MET.”
2018: Amal Clooney
Although unconfirmed, Amal Clooney was rumoured to have upset designer Tom Ford, after she swapped the gown he custom-made her for an outfit by British designer Richard Quinn.
According to Page Six, Amal was originally supposed to wear a red stained glass-inspired dress by Tom Ford but, at the last minute, opted for the floral pantsuit (pictured). The publication also alleged that Ford was further upset when Amal decided to change back into her custom Ford number, only when she arrived inside the event.
Neither Amal nor Ford have spoken out on the rumours.
2022: Kim Kardashian’s Marilyn-Inspired Look
For the ‘Gilded Glamour’-themed Met Gala, Kim Kardashian famously paid homage to Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe.
In a series of events well-documented on the reality show, The Kardashians, Kim went on an extreme diet in order to fit into the exact dress that Marilyn wore in 1962. After reportedly losing 16 pounds (approximately 7.2kg) ahead of the big day, Kim managed to slip into the exact dress to walk the carpet, before changing into a replica for the remainder of the night.
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