While the world's fashion elite gathered at the Met Gala in Manhattan on May 5, one notable star was conspicuously absent from the red carpet. Timothée Chalamet, expected to make a power couple debut with girlfriend Kylie Jenner, chose a dramatically different evening.
A Night of Basketball Over Black Tie
Instead of walking the steps of the Metropolitan Museum, the two-time Oscar nominee was holed up in a hotel room with three friends, glued to an iPad. Their mission? To cheer the New York Knicks to a nail-biting 108-105 victory over the Boston Celtics. Jenner attended the gala solo in a Ferragamo gown, leaving many to question Chalamet's whereabouts.
The actor, a devoted Knicks superfan, later expressed his intense focus on the game. On his Instagram story, he wrote: 'S****ing myself this game is insane!' He elaborated on this passion during a recent appearance on Carmelo Anthony's '7PM in Brooklyn' podcast. 'I had to be locked in, man,' Chalamet stated. 'I mean, that Knicks run last year was the most fun, not just being a fan, I think that was the most fun period of my life! Those four months, I'm not even kidding. That was just the [Madison Square] Garden being electric!'
Making Up for Lost Time and Future Projects
Chalamet, who served as a Met Gala Co-Chair in 2021, didn't leave fans waiting long for a public appearance with Jenner. Just two days later, the couple posed together at the 70th David Di Donatello Awards in Rome. Their sporting partnership continued five days after the Met Gala, with Jenner by his side as the Knicks beat the Celtics again 121-113.
Looking ahead, the actor has a busy schedule. He will celebrate his 30th birthday on December 27, likely with Jenner, before heading into an awards season where he is nominated for Best Actor at both the Critics' Choice Awards (January 4) and the Golden Globe Awards (January 11).
Chalamet also stars in and produced the upcoming A24 ping-pong drama, 'Marty Supreme'. With a $70 million budget, the film tells the story of shoe salesman-turned-table tennis champ Marty Mauser. It hits limited US theatres on December 25 and UK theatres on December 26. The cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher, and Sandra Bernhard.
From Dune to The Kardashians
On the professional front, Chalamet recently wrapped filming for 'Dune: Part Three', scheduled for release in December 2026. Meanwhile, Kylie Jenner is expanding her own acting portfolio, landing her biggest role yet in Aidan Zamiri's A24 film 'The Moment', starring Charli XCX, which premieres at Sundance before a US release on January 30.
She continues to executive produce and star in the seventh season of her family's reality series, 'The Kardashians', airing on Hulu. The couple, who first met in 2019 and confirmed their romance in 2023, continue to balance their high-profile careers with shared private moments, even if it means choosing a hotel room and an iPad over one of fashion's biggest nights.
