31 celebs who skipped the Met Gala this year

They were sorely missed

Rihanna
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Some celebs are synonymous with the Met Gala: we're thinking of Kim Kardashian, Blake Lively, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Rihanna, Nicole Kidman...

But this year, some of the New York City fashion event's most faithful attendees ended up skipping it — breaking fans' hearts everywhere.

Here are some of the celebrities who sadly didn't make it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art this year.

Rihanna

Rihanna attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Rihanna attends the 2023 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

RiRi was expected at the event, even showing off her pink hair ahead of time, but she sadly came down with the flu and was unable to attend.

Harry Styles

Harry Styles attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes On Fashion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City

Harry Styles attends the 2019 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

We weren't treated to one of the "Watermelon Sugar" singer's iconic outfits this time around, despite his girlfriend, the actress Taylor Russell, being in attendance.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift attends the 2016 Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 02, 2016 in New York, New York.

Taylor Swift attends the 2016 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Taylor wasn't at the Met Gala because she's currently preparing to start the European leg of her Eras Tour. The first date is set for 9 May in Paris, France. The singer's absence wasn't the most surprising, however, as she hasn't attended since 2016.

Travis Kelce

American Express Presents CARBONE BEACH - May 5

Travis Kelce at a Miami Grand Prix after-party.

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Taylor's boyfriend didn't end up attending the Met Gala solo, though he did attend the Kentucky Derby and Miami Grand Prix over the weekend.

Beyoncé

Beyonce attends the "Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2016 in New York City

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Cowboy Carter singer didn't grace the Met's iconic steps this year, and hasn't since 2016.

Blake Lively

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" - Arrivals

Blake Lively attends the 2022 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Blake Lively is responsible for some of the best outfits in Met Gala history, but she opted to skip the event this year.

Ryan Reynolds

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" - Arrivals

Ryan Reynolds attends the 2022 Met Gala.

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Ryan Reynolds followed his wife's lead and was nowhere to be seen on Monday.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga attends the 2019 Met Gala.

Lady Gaga attends the 2019 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Gaga unfortunately (for us) hasn't attended the Gala since 2019.

Ben Affleck

The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion - Inside

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Ben Affleck didn't join his wife Jennifer Lopez at this year's Gala. While Jen was serving as a co-chair for the event, Ben unfortunately had a scheduling conflict, per People.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City

Katy Perry attends the 2019 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Katy Perry didn't dress up as a hamburger or a chandelier for this year's Met Gala—in fact, despite the AI pictures you may have seen, the singer didn't attend at all.

Hailey Bieber

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" - Arrivals

Hailey Bieber attends the 2022 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The supermodel attended the Met Gala solo in 2022, and with husband Justin in 2021, but she skipped the fashion event this year.

Justin Bieber

The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion - Arrivals

Justin Bieber attends the 2021 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Justin Bieber is reportedly "facing some difficulties" at the moment, so he understandably didn't feel up to the red-carpet event.

Ice Spice

The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Arrivals

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The rapper attended for the first time last year, but wasn't in attendance this year.

Chrissy Teigen

"Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala - Arrivals

Chrissy Teigen attends the 2017 Met Gala.

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Chrissy Teigen explained on Instagram Stories that she never planned to attend the Met Gala this year.

John Legend

"Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Costume Institute Gala - Arrivals

John Legend attends the 2014 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

John showed up to the King's Trust Gala in NYC last week with wife Chrissy, but opted to miss out on the Met.

Anne Hathaway

The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Arrivals

Anne Hathaway attends the 2023 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It came as something of a surprise that Anne Hathaway wasn't at the Met Gala. However, her The Idea of You costar Nicholas Galitzine — who made his Met debut — revealed that she gave him a "pep talk" before the event.

Priyanka Chopra

The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Arrivals

Priyanka Chopra attends the 2023 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Priyanka — and husband Nick Jonas — appeared to skip the Met because the boy band member has the flu.

Nicola Peltz Beckham

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" - Arrivals

Nicola Peltz Beckham attends the 2022 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Brooklyn Beckham attended the event sans wife Nicola this year, and revealed that the Lola director was spending time with her grandmother instead.

Jared Leto

The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Arrivals

Jared Leto attends the 2023 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jared Leto is often the highlight of the Met Gala, whether he's dressed up as Karl Lagerfeld's beloved cat Choupette or he's holding a model of his own head, so he was definitely missed on Monday.

Bella Hadid

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" - Arrivals

Bella Hadid attends the 2022 Met Gala.

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Gigi Hadid was at the Met Gala, but her younger sister Bella decided to skip it.

Gisele Bündchen

The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Arrivals

Gisele Bündchen attends the 2023 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Gisele Bündchen skipped the Met to spend time with her family, and to help her home state in Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, which has been hit by devastating flooding.

Margot Robbie

The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Arrivals

Margot Robbie attends the 2023 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Barbie herself skipped the Met Gala because she was busy filming her latest movie, per Cosmopolitan. Fair enough, we'll let this one slide.

Jacob Elordi

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" - Arrivals

Jacob Elordi attends the 2022 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jacob Elordi may be one of Hollywood's hottest stars right now thanks to roles in Saltburn, Priscilla, and Euphoria, but he was nowhere to be seen on Monday.

Paul Mescal

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" - Arrivals

Paul Mescal attends the 2022 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

While Paul Mescal wasn't at the Met this year, Ayo Edebiri was asked about him, so it's kind of like he was?

Emma Stone

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" - Arrivals

Emma Stone attends the 2022 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Emma was sadly not on the RSVP list on Monday, having last attended the event in 2022.

Suki Waterhouse

The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Arrivals

Suki Waterhouse attends the 2023 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Suki Waterhouse made her Met Gala debut in 2023, and skipped the event this time around after giving birth to her first child with Robert Pattinson earlier this year.

Robert Pattinson

The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Red Carpet

Robert Pattinson attends the 2023 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Presumably, R-Patz also skipped the event to be with his partner and baby.

Timothée Chalamet

The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion - Arrivals

Timothée Chalamet attends the 2021 Met Gala.

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Timothée Chalamet is a king of red-carpet dressing, but he hasn't been spotted at the Met since 2021.

Sophie Turner

The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" - Arrivals

Sophie Turner attends the 2022 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sophie Turner hasn't directly addressed why she skipped the Met Gala this year, but she's obviously had a difficult few months after splitting from ex-husband Joe Jonas, so she may not have been feeling up to it.

Kristen Stewart

The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" - Arrivals

Kristen Stewart attends the 2023 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kristen Stewart can rock a Chanel outfit like no other, but sadly this year we had to do without her incredible sense of style at the Met Gala.

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City.

Selena Gomez attends the 2018 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Like her friend Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez doesn't seem to be a huge fan of the Met — she hasn't been to the event since 2018.

Iris Goldsztajn
Iris Goldsztajn is a celebrity and royal news writer for Marie Claire. As a London-based freelance journalist, she writes about wellness, relationships, pop culture, beauty and more for the likes of InStyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red. Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, Iris is especially interested in debunking diet culture and destigmatising mental health struggles. Previously, she was the associate editor for Her Campus, where she oversaw the style and beauty news sections, as well as producing gift guides, personal essays and celebrity interviews. There, she worked remotely from Los Angeles, after returning from a three-month stint as an editorial intern for Cosmopolitan.com in New York. As an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, she interned at goop and C California Style and served as Her Campus' national style and LGBTQ+ editor. Iris was born and raised in France by a French father and an English mother. Her Spotify Wrapped is riddled with country music and One Direction, and she can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.