Who Is Skipping The Met Gala 2026? All the Celebrities Reportedly Sitting Out the Event

Billy Porter has not been invited to the Met Gala since his debut in 2019 — and he is expected to sit out the upcoming iteration.

"I'm just going to throw that out there," he told host Beverly "Bevy" Smith on her SiriusXM radio show, Bevelations. "I'm good. It's all good. But the reality is when people ask me, you need to know I was not invited and I'm good, and I don't go to places where I'm not welcome."

Nevertheless, the Kinky Boots star clarified he has come to terms with it as he "doesn't require validation from the outside."

He continued, "So I'm going to sit and live in that because it helps keep me sane, too."

Reflecting on the "cliquey" event, Demi Lovato said she had "a terrible experience" at the Met Gala 2016 because of an unnamed celebrity she described as a "complete b---- and was miserable to be around."

"I remember being so uncomfortable that I wanted to drink," she revealed to Billboard. "I changed my clothes, but I still had my diamonds on – millions of dollars of diamonds on in an AA meeting. And I 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."

Although the "Heart Attack" hitmaker returned to the Met Gala in 2024, she skipped the 2025 event and is likely to bow out of the 2026 gala as well.

With Florence + The Machine's Everybody Scream North American Tour stopping in Houston, Texas, on May 4, Florence Welch will likely skip the fashion event.

Jennifer Aniston, who has never been to the Met Gala, revealed why she decided not to attend the annual invitation-only fundraising event.

"Yes, I have [been invited], but I don't go. It overwhelms me," she admitted in an interview with Glamour. "It's the getting ready, the putting on the dress. I'm a 'jeans and flip-flops and tank top' kind of girl. I love dressing up too, but for me it's a mental game of…'Let's get dressed up, put on a fancy dress, makeup, get your hair all purdy and go sit in a big room with your peers.' [And yes,] everyone's there to celebrate each other and have some fun, but I get nervous."

According to a news outlet, Met Gala regular Lauren Santo Domingo will steer clear of the Met Gala 2026.

In an October 2022 interview with , Lili Reinhart said her rant about Kim Kardashian's rapid weight-loss to fit into Marilyn Monroe's dress may have caused her to be taken off the guest list.

"Was fun, but after going again this year, I don't think I'll be invited back," she assumed. "I said a certain something about a certain person in a certain dress."

Fashion's biggest night of the year will reportedly not have Meryl Streep on board.

The Devil Wears Prada star was once asked to co-chair the Met Gala but backed out. She was tapped again for the affair's 2026 iteration, but she ultimately declined the invitation.

A recent profile in British Vogue hinted that Priyanka Chopra may skip the Met Gala 2026 to film Varanasi in Antarctica.

"I mean… What? You can do anything with that! And, honestly, being a spectator can be just as fun," she said of the theme.

When a fan asked Rachel Zegler about the Met Gala 2026, the Snow White actress replied she would be "working" instead.

Due to her current work in Inter Alia, Rosamund Pike will likely miss the Met Gala 2026.

The new production of Romeo & Juliet in London's West End includes Sadie Sink in the cast. As they have a show on May 4, the Stranger Things star will likely forgo the Met Gala.

Tim Gunn's drama with Anna Wintour led him to being banned from the Met Gala.

"It is very true. It is a crazy story, and as far as I'm concerned, it's a very matter-of-fact story," he said in 2016. "I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I've ever seen in fashion and I said, 'It's easy. It was watching Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards — two big hulking men — from a fashion show.' All h--- broke loose. It was insane. We've had an open war ever since."

Zendaya will also likely skip the ball due to her packed schedule. She has been busy with press tours for The Drama and Euphoria Season 3 before turning her focus to her two upcoming movies, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.

Although the city's mayors often attend the fundraiser, Zohran Mamdani decided to sit it out.

"I love the Met. I think that it's an incredible museum," he said.