Zendaya, Bella Hadid, and Billy Porter all confirmed they are skipping the 2026 Met Gala tonight. So did Taraji P. Henson, Meryl Streep, and Zohran Mamdani. The six-name no-show is hard to ignore.
Joy-Ann Reid shared a graphic on Instagram on Monday, reposting content from the account @impact. The caption read: “From Zendaya to Bella Hadid, this year’s #MetGala will be missing out on some heavy fashion hitters.” Reid added her own note, describing all six as “some of the most sought after and fashionable figures.” The post pulled in more than 4,400 likes within hours.
The absences hit differently. Look at the names. Zendaya has become one of the Met Gala’s most anticipated guests in recent years. Her looks – often shaped in close collaboration with her longtime stylist – have generated the kind of breathless coverage that fashion editors save for their best seats. Skipping the stairs this time around leaves a real gap in the night’s visual drama.
Bella Hadid is in a similar category. She’s one of the most photographed models in the world and a fixture at major fashion events. Her absence means one fewer jaw-dropping carpet moment for the internet to dissect.
Billy Porter has never done anything quietly at the Met Gala. His tuxedo gown moment from 2019, carried in on a litter by six shirtless men, became one of the most talked-about entrances in the event’s history. He’s one of those rare guests whose presence redefines the night. Not showing up carries its own weight.
The collective loss in visual firepower feels genuinely significant. Each of these names generates a different kind of coverage, and the Met Gala will be missing all of them.
Taraji P. Henson brings a different kind of electricity. She played Cookie Lyon on Empire. Over the years she’s earned a reputation for arriving at red carpets fully committed and completely unafraid. Her presence tends to generate real excitement.
Then there’s Meryl Streep. She has three Academy Awards, a Broadway background, and decades of cultural gravity. Her RSVP matters regardless of whether she’s considered a fashion plate.
The most unexpected name on the list might be Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Council Member and prominent progressive politician. Reid grouped him alongside the actors and models without explanation. His inclusion seems to speak to a cultural cachet that extends well beyond the fashion world.
None of the six offered public explanations for skipping tonight’s event. That’s not unusual – celebrities rarely explain their Met Gala absences in advance – but it does leave the conversation wide open. Scheduling conflicts, personal reasons, or a simple choice to sit this one out are all equally plausible.
The Met Gala, held annually on the first Monday of May, raises money for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The guest list has always been as carefully curated as the exhibit itself. Six high-profile no-shows can shape the night’s story early. The carpet is just getting started.
The people who do show up will generate plenty of coverage. But there’s something genuinely interesting about a gala remembered partly for its absences. Fashion, like literature, sometimes says the most through what’s left out.
