As anticipation builds for Met Gala 2026’s 'Costume Art' theme, co-chairs Beyoncé and Venus Williams promise a defining cultural spectacle. Yet, beyond the expected glamour, the guest list reveals telling absences, ranging from scheduling conflicts to long-standing rifts underscoring Anna Wintour’s tightly curated guest list.

1. Billy Porter

Billy Porter’s Met Gala trajectory reads less like a hiatus and more like a closed chapter, shaped in part by his public criticism of Harry Styles’ Vogue cover. Despite delivering one of the most theatrical arrivals in 2019, his actions since signal a deliberate distancing, making his presence at the Met Gala 2026 highly improbable.

“I haven’t been invited back since 2019. That’s the only time I’ve ever gone, and the only time I’ve ever been invited,” he said in an interview with Bevelations. His pointed remarks toward Anna Wintour only deepen the divide.

2. Tim Gunn

Tim Gunn’s absence from the Met Gala is not speculative; it is effectively permanent following a very public fallout with Anna Wintour. Once a consistent attendee, Gunn’s recounting of an unflattering backstage moment involving Wintour triggered a lasting rift.

“It is a crazy story, and as far as I am concerned, it is a very matter-of-fact story,” he said to E!’s Fashion Police. Gunn has since described himself as “forever disinvited" because of his story of "Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards."

3. Rachel Zegler

Rachel Zegler’s absence from the Met Gala 2026 was confirmed through a direct exchange with a trusted fan account. When the fan account admin asked her if she would be attending the Met Gala this year, Zegler answered in the negative. She said she will be working instead of attending.

Rachel Zegler’s absence from the Met Gala 2026 is firmly tied to an unusually packed slate. Between leading She Gets It From Me alongside Marisa Tomei and Ed Helms, joining the Octet ensemble with Amanda Seyfried, and preparing for a Gloria Estefan biopic, her schedule leaves little flexibility. Add an undisclosed movie musical teased in early 2026, and her absence becomes a matter of logistics rather than choice.

4. Florence Welch

Florence Welch will not attend Met Gala 2026 due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict tied to her Everybody Scream North American tour with Florence + The Machine. The band is slated to perform in Houston on May 5, placing Welch firmly on stage rather than at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Despite her history with the gala, including a notable appearance at the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty event, the tour will take precedence.  The very tour that kicked off in April 2026 includes stops in major cities like New York and Philadelphia.

5. Tina Fey

Tina Fey will not attend Met Gala 2026 because she has repeatedly and publicly rejected the event itself, making both an invitation and acceptance highly improbable. After her single appearance, Fey criticized the guest culture and atmosphere in blunt terms, creating a clear disconnect between her and the gala’s inner circle.

“Clearly I will never go again,” Tina Fey said on The Late Show With David Letterman, leaving little ambiguity about her stance. She also labeled the event a “jerk parade” and described attendees as people one might “want to punch,” remarks that effectively shut the door on any future Met Gala appearances.

6. Priyanka Chopra

While Priyanka Chopra has not confirmed her absence, she is highly likely not to attend the gala because of a non-negotiable filming schedule that places her far from New York City. She is currently shooting Varanasi under S. S. Rajamouli alongside Mahesh Babu, with production reportedly taking place in Antarctica during the gala. Simultaneously, promotional commitments for Citadel Season 2, releasing the same week, further eliminate any possibility of attendance.

“I will be otherwise engaged,” Priyanka Chopra noted in a profile with British Vogue, while also expressing that she is content being a spectator despite the 'Costume Art' theme. With a confirmed appearance at the Gold Gala in Los Angeles days later, her schedule clearly prioritizes other obligations, placing her firmly among the celebrities highly likely not attending the Met Gala 2026.

Would you like these celebrities to make a comeback to the Met Gala? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Iffat Siddiqui

Edited by

Hriddhi Maitra