Zendaya and Meryl Streep are reportedly among the A-listers skipping this year's Met Gala, scheduled for Monday, May 4. The decision comes amid growing calls for a boycott over the involvement of Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, who have been named lead donors and honorary co-chairs for the event.
Zendaya's Break from the Spotlight
According to Elle, Zendaya will miss the New York City ceremony to take a break after promoting two projects back-to-back: The Drama and Euphoria season three. The actress, who has become a Met Gala regular with seven appearances since her 2015 debut, co-chaired the event in 2024 and dazzled last year in an all-white Louis Vuitton suit.
Streep Turns Down Co-Chair Role
The Daily Mail reported that Meryl Streep, who currently portrays Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2 — a character inspired by Vogue editor Anna Wintour — turned down a co-chair role due to Bezos and Sánchez's involvement. However, her representative clarified to The Independent: “Meryl has been invited to the Met Gala for many years but has never attended. While she appreciates Vogue, Anna, and her incredible imagination and stamina, it has never quite been her scene.”
Despite her absence, Streep's daughters, Grace and Mamie Gummer, will attend, along with her Devil Wears Prada 2 co-stars Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, according to Page Six sources.
Backlash Over Bezos Sponsorship
Bezos and Sánchez's sponsorship has sparked criticism, with activists accusing Bezos of buying influence at the prestigious fashion event. Posters near the Metropolitan Museum in New York City read: “Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE” and “Boycott the Bezos Met Gala.” The flyer campaign was organized by the British anti-billionaire group Everyone Hates Elon.
Anna Wintour defended the couple's involvement, telling CNN in November: “I think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event. I’m very grateful for her incredible generosity, and she’s a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion, so we’re thrilled she’s part of the night.”
Event Details and Co-Chairs
The Met Gala's dress code this year is “Costume Art,” exploring the centrality of the dressed body. Curator Andrew Bolton stated: “What connects every curatorial department and every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body.”
This year's co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams. The host committee, co-chaired by Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz, features Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Misty Copeland, Lena Dunham, Sam Smith, and Teyana Taylor, among others.
