Nicole Kidman, Lauren Sanchez, Anna Wintour try to survive the cringe.
Until recently, celebrities would have sold a kidney for an invite to the Met Gala, fashion’s so-called “biggest night.”
It’s supposedly the most exclusive party on the planet — a freak show of fabric and excess featuring a “secret” guest list, tickets that cost $100,000 (bargain!), and a red carpet rolled out over the steps of one of Manhattan’s oldest cultural landmarks.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez at the Met Gala — looking like they just discovered what sequins are.
Outrage Over Bezos Showing Up
But things apparently took a nosedive once Anna Wintour announced that the 2026 Met Gala’s sponsor would be Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez. To honor their generous donation to the Metropolitan Institute, Anna made them co-chairs of the event. The price tag for those titles? According to the New York Post, Bezos allegedly coughed up a cool $10 million.
Lauren Sanchez at the Met Gala — proof that money can’t buy taste, but it can buy you a front-row seat.
This immediately sparked backlash, part of a broader wave of resentment against the super-rich — both nationally and in New York, the “liberal” playground where the event takes place.
The fury escalated when the city’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, announced in mid-April that he wouldn’t attend — breaking with tradition — because his priority was “affordability.” (Translation: He’d rather pay rent than play dress-up.)
Anti-Bezos Campaign Goes Viral
In the weeks before Monday’s event, an anti-Bezos campaign spread through NYC’s streets, subways, and the internet, where social media users dubbed it the “Amazon Prime Gala” or “Bezos Ball” and called for a boycott.
One message on a van showed a smiling Bezos with the caption: “If you can buy the Met Gala, you can pay more taxes.”
And now, the day after, social media users are calling the Met Gala a dystopian parade of billionaires and influencers.
Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla — showing up like they just came from a board meeting about ruining the internet.
The “Stars” Were There, Sadly
Of course, the glittering event had its usual suspects: Nicole Kidman, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Blake Lively, Rihanna, Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber, and Beyoncé — who returned after 10 years, probably to remind us what actual style looks like.
But what really turned heads was the swarm of billionaires who — under normal circumstances — wouldn’t have made it past the velvet rope.
This year’s billionaire bingo card included: Bezos and Sanchez, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg (wearing his human costume), Priscilla Chan, George Soros’ sons Alex and Robert, heiress Isha Ambani (daughter of India’s richest man), Walmart heir S. Robson Walton, Mike Bloomberg, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, venture capitalist Amy Griffin, and Indian billionaire Ruda Shetty.
Robert Soros and his wife — accurately described as “two people who have never worried about a grocery bill.”
Also present: Rupert Murdoch’s daughters Grace and Kelly, accompanying their mother, Wendi Deng — because nothing says “charity gala” like media mogul family drama.
Wendi Deng with daughters Grace and Kelly — coordinating their looks and their trust funds.
Social Media Loses Its Mind
The flood of billionaires — and the absence of names like Zendaya and Billie Eilish — sparked a meltdown online, with many calling the event “out of touch” and a “billionaire’s ball.”
One furious user on X wrote:
“Ah, the Met Gala — the chance for multi-millionaires to wear a lifetime of my savings for some fun and attention. Screw the Met Gala.”
Another added:
*“The Met Gala is just a bunch of over-the-hill celebs and out-of-touch millionaires pretending to be ‘edgy’ while wearing $50,000 dresses made by people who can’t pay their rent.”*
And a third:
“Meanwhile, real Americans are struggling, watching prices skyrocket, and dealing with actual problems. I’d rather watch paint dry than pretend these clowns are important.”
Someone else nailed it:
“Nothing says ‘fashion is art’ like billionaires buying honorary titles while the rest of us stare at gas prices.”
One user compared it to The Hunger Games:
“It’s like the Hunger Games — everyone else is starving, while the people in the Capitol dress ‘fancy.’”
And the sarcastic cherry on top:
“The Met Gala: where fashion goes to die and billionaires pretend they have souls. Every first Monday of May, the most overhyped charity cosplay event rolls out the blood-red carpet for a bunch of multi-millionaires LARPing as avant-garde artists — while we watch from our couches like it’s the most expensive train wreck in the world.”
Final verdict from the internet: “This isn’t a gala. It’s a hostage situation where good taste is being held captive by egomaniacs dressed in tinfoil and feathers.”
by ERIN BURNES