Supermodel Anok Yai has fiercely denied a crude rumour about a dress she wore to the 2024 Met Gala, after a newspaper report suggested she had urinated while wearing the outfit. The 28-year-old model took to Instagram to express her outrage, stating that the claim was a mischaracterisation of her character.
The Origin of the Rumour
A report in the Washington Post this week explored the logistical challenges guests face when using the bathroom at the annual fashion event, given the often elaborate and unconventional designs of their outfits. Stylist Mickey Freeman shared an anecdote about an unnamed model who wore an “elaborate couture sheer mesh jumpsuit” to the 2024 Met Gala. According to Freeman, the model had to be sewn into the garment due to a zipper malfunction. During the dinner, the model was “swept up in the grandeur and excitement [and] completely forgot about the zipper situation,” leading to a tear in the gown. Freeman added that “inevitably, [the model’s] bladder decided to remind her.”
While Freeman did not name the model, the Washington Post conducted its own research and concluded that “model Anok Yai wore an outfit that matches this description” to the 2024 event.
Anok Yai's Response
Posting to her Instagram, Yai firmly denied being the model in question. “I usually stay quiet and keep to myself,” she wrote. “But how dare you misalign my character and imply that I ripped my outfit and peed on myself during the Met Gala of 2024! Fact check next time! Are you crazy?!”
Freeman also addressed the controversy, sharing a screenshot of the article and denying that Yai was the woman he had discussed. “Nope! It was not Queen @anokyai,” he wrote, tagging the model.
Yai's Career and Health Battle
Anok Yai is one of the most sought-after supermodels globally. In 2018, she made history as the first Black model to open a Prada runway show since Naomi Campbell in 1997. Last year, she revealed on social media that she had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. “For the past year I’ve been dealing with this silent battle,” she shared, alongside clips of her in a hospital bed. “I incidentally found out I had a congenital defect overworking my heart and slowly destroying my lungs.”
The 2026 Met Gala
Yai was among the many stars attending the 2026 Met Gala, which was controversially sponsored by Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos. For the event, Yai wore a custom Balenciaga gown inspired by the weeping statues of Sicily. The theme of the night was “Fashion Is Art,” with attendees sporting outfits linked to famous works of art throughout history.
