Katy Perry hit the celeb-packed Met Gala in her first public appearance after being accused of sexual assault by actress Ruby Rose, as her former Canadian Prime Minister boyfriend Justin Trudeau was noticeably missing from the occasion.
Outfit and Appearance
The 41-year-old pop star donned one of the most talked-about outfits of the night as she attempted to go incognito at fashion's biggest night in New York City on Monday. Perry hid her face at least for a little while, sporting a metal and white mesh mask on the iconic stairs of the yearly event, which drew comparisons to the sport of fencing and even her controversial Blue Origin space mission from last year.
The Roar hitmaker also wore a matching white long strapless gown with a trailing cape. Her signature raven-colored locks were pulled back as they cascaded down her back, and she wore complementary makeup. She also matched her silver metallic facemask with tooth jewelry, featuring a similarly shaped platinum cap on one of her bottom teeth.
Allegations and Response
Her public appearance at such a massive event comes just weeks after she hit back at Ruby Rose's 'dangerous and reckless lies,' denying claims that she sexually assaulted her. The 40-year-old actress claimed in a social media post that the incident with the singer took place at a Melbourne nightclub when she was in her twenties. Ruby added that it had taken her 'almost two decades' to speak about it publicly.
However, a representative for Katy hit back at Ruby's comments in a statement to the Daily Mail, saying: 'The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous, reckless lies. Ms Rose has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named.'
Making the allegations in a post shared to Threads, Ruby wrote: 'Katy Perry sexually assaulted me at Spice Market nightclub in Melbourne. Who gives a s**t what she thinks.' She added: 'I was only in my early 20s. I'm now 40. It has taken almost two decades to say this publicly. Though I am so grateful to have made it long enough to find my voice, it just shows how much of an impact trauma and sexual assault takes. Thank you for seeing me.'
Previous Criticism
It is not the first time the Australian actress has criticized Katy in public. She described the singer's track Swish Swish as 'purposeful poop' in 2017. However, Ruby backtracked on the comments just days later, writing on X: 'Being mean doesn't suit me and leaves me feeling dirty. Truth is being mean leaves more leaks in your camp than the titanic and I get so triggered when I think bullies don't get held accountable and it makes me think I should say something... but it's not [my] place.'
Career and Personal Life
While Katy was previously considered one of the world's biggest popstars, she has seemingly been on a downward spiral, and her latest music has failed to revive her career. Last year, she drew criticism for taking part in the Blue Origin space flight, alongside Jeff Bezos's wife Lauren Sanchez, with one PR expert even suggesting the singer could face 'career extinction.' Once the furore of her space mission died down, Katy suffered heartbreak in her personal life as she split from her fiancé, Orlando Bloom. Despite the personal turmoil, she has since performed across five continents on her Lifetimes Tour and is now dating former Canadian prime minister Trudeau. However, the 54-year-old public figure was noticeably missing from Met Gala festivities.
Met Gala Details
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, also known as the Met Gala, falls on the first Monday in May every year. The theme of this year's event - widely considered the Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets - is 'Costume Art', while the dress code is 'Fashion Is Art.' The dress code calls on the A-list attendees to explore how designers use the human body as a blank canvas.
Leading the charge is a powerhouse trio of co-chairs, with Beyonce, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams joining forces with Vogue's global editorial director Anna Wintour to oversee fashion's biggest night. It is the first time tennis superstar Williams has co-chaired the gala. Kidman previously co-chaired the star-studded event in 2003 as well as 2005, and Beyonce was an honorary chair in 2013.
The New York City museum will pair historical and contemporary garments from the Costume Institute for the exhibition, which will be loosely divided into three categories, including the classical and the nude body, aging and pregnant bodies, and the anatomical body. The exhibit - set to unveil the Met's sprawling new Conde M. Nast Galleries - has been made possible by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez, who are the lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs.
'The title "Costume Art" refers to the history of the costume institute,' Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute's curator, said at a press conference. Bolton, who selects the theme, said fashion has 'the status of art because of, and not in spite of, its relation to the body.' French luxury fashion house Yves Saint Laurent is also sponsoring the exhibit.
The 2026 Met Gala will also have a host committee that includes committee co-chairs Anthony Vaccarello and Zoe Kravitz, along with members Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Angela Bassett, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor and more. Costume Art will run from May 10, 2026 through January 10, 2027, following the Met Gala on May 4.
The Met Gala is a huge money-maker for the museum and provides the Costume Institute with its main source of funding. The 2026 Met Gala marks a major moment because it is the first one since Wintour technically stepped back from one of her famed roles at Vogue. In June 2025, Wintour announced she was stepping down as the editor-in-chief of American Vogue after 37 years. The global director for Vogue and global chief content officer at Conde Nast hired Chloe Malle as the new head of editorial content at Vogue.
Wintour has famously been incredibly hands-on with the Met Gala over the years and is credited with making it the splashy A-list affair it has become, beloved by celebrities like Rihanna, the Kardashians, Blake Lively, Zendaya and more. Last year, many stars did not attend the Met Gala, and some people thought it was to avoid making a faux pas because of the theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which was centered around the political and aesthetic constructs of Black dandyism.
