Photo: Sky Cinema / Shutterstock
It's not for everyone.
By Nia Tipton — Written on May 02, 2022
The 2022 Met Gala has returned to its original slot of the first Monday in May after being postponed due to the pandemic.
Just eight months ago, the Met Gala saw many unique looks for major celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Billie Eilish, and Rihanna.
This year, the annual fundraising event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City will see many more A-list names walking the red carpet.
While many celebrities enjoy dressing up and attending the major event, there are other celebrities who have voiced their aversion to the Vogue-hosted gala.
Here are 7 celebrities who refuse to go back to the Met Gala.
1. Gwyneth Paltrow
Photo: Sky Cinema | Shutterstock
In an interview with USA Today, Paltrow condemned the Met Gala has being "so un-fun," saying that she was "never going again" after not being able to walk the red carpet alongside her then-husband Chris Martin.
However, it seemed Paltrow had a change of heart and later attended the event in 2017 and again in 2019, according to People.
Paltrow did not attend the Met Gala in 2021, though, but maybe she'll make another appearance on Monday, or maybe she truly is done with the Gala.
2. Tina Fey
Photo: Tinseltown | Shutterstock
Despite managing to score an invite to the 2010 Met Gala, comedian Tina Fey thinks she won't be getting another one.
In an interview with David Letterman, Fey called the event a "jerk parade," and told Letterman that he wasn't missing out on anything special.
"Every jerk from every walk of life is there wearing, like, some stupid thing," she said, adding that her husband, Jeff Richmond, wasn't a fan. Fey also admitted that she's "still in trouble" for taking him as her date.
She continued telling Letterman stories from the event, including how she ended up hanging out with Barbara Walters.
3. Zayn Malik
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Former One Direction member Zayn Malik only attended the Met Gala once, but according to him, once was definitely enough.
Malik had walked the carpet in 2016 with his then-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, though he didn't have a good time. In an interview with GQ, Malik described the event as "self-indulgent."
"Now, it's not something I would go to. I'd rather be sitting at my house, doing something productive, than dressing up in really expensive clothes and being photographed on a red carpet," he added.
Fans also believe that Malik has been banned from the Gala due to the disparaging comments he made, according to Cosmopolitan.
4. Demi Lovato
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Singer Demi Lovato attended the Met Gala in 2016 for their first and last time.
In an interview with Billboard, Lovato said that they "had a terrible experience" after attending the Gala while trying to remain sober.
"I remember being so uncomfortable that I wanted to drink," Lovato recalled, saying that they eventually left the event and attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting instead.
Lovato also called out a certain celebrity who had been awful to be around, saying, "This one celebrity was a complete b**ch and was miserable to be around."
According to People, the celebrity Lovato had been talking about was allegedly Nicki Minaj as the two had both been accompanied by designer Jeremy Scott.
5. Indya Moore
Photo: Instagram | Indya Moore
Actress Indya Moore had been invited to the 2021 Met Gala for the first time, and despite being grateful for the invite, Moore decided they wouldn't be going again.
In a post to their Instagram, Moore wrote, "I am going to think long and hard about why I came and if it is truly in alignment with what I want to accomplish in this life, the stories I want to tell and the messages I want to share."
Moore, who is most known for their activism, said being at the Met Gala was "cognitive dissonance," referring to the Black Lives Matter protest that had taken place outside of The Met.
"We organize millions for a museum, on stolen land that black and brown people suffer on unless white supremacy thinks they are exceptional-but not for the people? Can't we be substantially generous in ways that alliviate suffering and poverty?" Moore concluded.
6. Amy Schumer
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Comedian and actress Amy Schumer recalled her first Met Gala experience in 2016 as being short-lived in an interview with Howard Stern.
"I left earlier than I should have been allowed," Schumer said, adding that she had met Beyoncé — who asked Schumer if it was her first time at the event, to which Schumer replied that it would be her last.
Although Schumer bashed the event, she ended up returning in 2017, telling Stephen Colbert that she "had to go home early and black out on my own."
Schumer then made an appearance at the 2019 Met Gala, though not as a guest but had stopped for a quick photo outside of the museum just before giving birth to her son, according to E! News.
7. Lena Dunham
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Actress Lena Dunham had attended the Met Gala in 2016, and like Amy Schumer, Dunham recalled having an awful time
According to Page Six, both Dunham and Schumer talked about their Met Gala experience in Dunham's weekly feminist newsletter Lenny Letter, which has since been shut down.
“You and I were literally sitting across from each other at the Met Ball, and it was like a crazy countdown to when we could escape. You were like, ‘We’re honored to be here. We’re honored to be here,'” Dunham told Schumer.
Dunham revealed one major reason why she had wanted to go home so early, which had been because of football player Odell Beckham Jr.
“I was sitting next to Odell Beckham Jr., and it was so amazing because it was like he looked at me and he determined I was not the shape of a woman by his standards,” Dunham said. “He was like, ‘That’s a marshmallow. That’s a child. That’s a dog.’ It wasn’t mean — he just seemed confused.”
“The vibe was very much like, ‘Do I want to f— it? Is it wearing a … yep, it’s wearing a tuxedo, I’m going to go back to my cell phone,'" Dunham continued.
"It was like we were forced to be together, and he literally was scrolling Instagram rather than have to look at a woman in a bow tie. I was like, ‘This should be called the Metropolitan Museum of Getting Rejected by Athletes.'”
Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.