The Met Gala is on Monday and it doesn’t seem to be as buzzy as years past. Granted, in 2021, the gala was pushed back until September, and barely anyone flew in from Europe so it was like this weird American-centric gala. I don’t even remember last year’s. Maybe the pandemic sort of changed how we talk about the Met Gala and what we expect from it. Maybe some celebrities and fashionistas are just like… who cares? Blake Lively is one of those people. Blake usually attends the gala and she always tries to go big with her look. To mixed results, in my opinion. But this year, Blake’s not going.
The show will have to go on without Blake Lively. On Thursday during the grand re-opening of the Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue in New York City, the It Ends with Us actress said she would not be attending the 2023 Met Gala.
“You will not,” Lively, 35, told reporters including PEOPLE when asked on the red carpet whether fans would see her at the annual biggest night in fashion. “But I will be watching.”
After being complimented the star on her 2022 ensemble, she said, “Thank you, that’s very sweet. I’ll be wearing that on my couch on Monday.”
When I saw this, I genuinely thought “yeah, but who was desperate to see Blake?” Then there were thousands of tweets with people losing their minds about Blake not attending this year. Truly. I’m sure I’ll get slammed, but Blake was always so boring at the gala – it was always “a Mall Girl gets dressed up” aesthetic. The thing is, I don’t think Rihanna is going either, and Beyonce hasn’t gone in years. So there will be a dearth of big-name “fashionistas” at this year’s gala.
So far, these are the people who have confirmed: Megan Thee Stallion, Penelope Cruz, Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, Kristen Stewart, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Elle Fanning, Paris Hilton, La La Anthony, Priyanka Chopra, Florence Pugh (who will wear Valentino), Camila Morrone and… Choupette. Literally, I think they’re going to bring Karl Lagerfeld’s beloved cat onto the carpet.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- 60700, NEW YORK, NEW YORK – Wednesday May 4, 2011. Karl Lagerfeld and Blake Lively attend the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Job,Image: 525033413, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: SolarPix, PacificCoastNews.com / Avalon
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- 118112, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at the Met Gala in NYC. New York, New York – Monday May 5, 2014.,Image: 530740852, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: TS, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
- (FILE) Ryan Reynolds And Blake Lively Donate $400,000 to New York Hospitals Amid Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. They are reportedly donating $100,000 each to Elmhurst, NYU Hospital, Mount Sinai, and Northern Westchester. MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA – MAY 05: Actress Blake Lively and husband/actor Ryan Reynolds arrive at the ‘Charles James: Beyond Fashion’ Costume Institute Gala (2014 Meta Gala) held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency),Image: 564162484, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
I don’t know, I loved her statue of Liberty dress and think it was pretty iconic!
I loved that dress, too! It was as a statement piece for sure. And her whole look was incredible that night.
Me, too. Blake wears clothing so well. I always enjoy seeing her and Ryan together. They are a glamorous couple when they go for it.
No slam from me about Kaiser’s opinion either and I agree that was “iconic” and I look forward to seeing her. But, also many on the list are amazing.
I agree – her Statue of Liberty dress was indeed iconic. She tries to bring Old Hollywood glamour to her looks…I don’t think she fails at it – I think she’s young and when younger actresses try to pull off the Old Hollywood glamour look, that patina of sophistication is missing. I think in a few years, she will be quite a force in that way. What I also like is the energy she brings – she’s always smiling and seems so genuinely happy to be there. I enjoy her her overall looks and positivity.
I agree, the statue if liberty dress was amazing, and I also loved what she did in 2018 (gold crown, red and gold dress). Her look was way better than Rhi’s wonky pope that year.
You might not personally like her style but you can’t deny that she’s got it or that she usually makes a big splash at the Met Gala. She never phones it in & always puts in the work to get a real ‘look’.
Agreed. She works to sell it, and I appreciate her energy and investment — even if she rubs me as a bit bland otherwise. Bland but not offensive — she’s fine, even after the plantation debacle. And Mr. Lively would be the easiest person to hate right now (how we love to tear down the overexposed!) except for his venture into Wrexham. I fecking adore this story!
I kinda feel like she just had her 4th baby (it might be anywhere from 6 months to a year ago, I genuinely don’t know) but I know I’d want to go to the Met Gala *fighting fit* and if I wasn’t back to my pre pregnancy size – and I’m not saying that there is a timeline to getting there – I wouldn’t want to go. I also feel like last year was her big year for the Met Gala and I don’t think we’ll see her going again
I also learned recently (from Buzzfeed, of all places) that the guests have to be invited, but they also have to *buy a ticket*, and the price just went up from $30k to $50k. (Man, this recession is affecting *everyone*!)
She’s had her fourth baby, she probably has other things on her mind and these outfits take a long time. It would be difficult to plan and fit the dress for a new mom whose body is changing all the time. Sounds stressful. My only question is why is this an announcement? I saw this yesterday somewhere on IG I think.
maybe because the list is kinda sparse this year and she could usually be counted on to at least try to hit the mark? i was surprised too but i really think the list is the least interesting it’s ever been and she and ryan were kinda a staple?
Ryan has a parade in Wrexham on Tuesday because him and Rob’s team won their leagues .
The Mens team was promoted to the English league after 15 years out and the Womens team got promoted to the Welsh Premier League
Her Statue of Liberty-inspired (and convertible) dress for the Gilded Age theme was amazing. She always seems to go on-theme, unlike the basics who throw on a random dress and call it good.
That dress is on display in the fashion exhibit at Kensington Palace now—fun to see it up close.
The idea of having her catness, Choupette, forced to travel to an airport, through the airport, onto a plane, back through an airport and into NYC to attend a crowded party to “honor” Karl? Jetlagged and away from her kitty safe places? From a cat’s perspective, this is a terrible idea.
Right? Cats do not generally enjoy crowds, strangers, and travel. Also it must be pretty old at this point.
I get the sense that Choupette and her handlers will be flying private, but still stressful for the Kitty!
Yeah, Choupette has flown private since she was a kitten & has been around photoshoots, etc for years. My bourgeois kitties could never, but I think Choupette will be fine.
Loved her Statue of Liberty dress. I can’t imagine the work that went into that. Seems like she usually brings her A game. But I don’t blame her for staying home after having a baby.
I will miss Rihanna and Blake on the carpet. I was never a big fan but she has grown on me through the years. Some have claimed Blake (and other bigger names) not going is due to Kim Kardashian being invited. It is interesting how many celebrities have stopped coming since the Kardashians have started going. My 14 year old niece is invested in this theory and has cracked me up with some of her texts about it. We are popping popcorn, making tacos and plan on being catty tomorrow night.
Oh Nilber I love this for you and your niece
The Met Gala lost its lustre when it opted for basic/trashy over beauty/sophistication by pandering to the Kardashian/Jenners et all.
As for Blake’s mall girl aesthetic… it captures her style perfectly.
on the one hand, the whole “exclusivity” thing tends to keep out minorities and is elitist. on the other, bringing in reality “stars” screams desperation and the beginning of the end. i find it mostly just embarassing now.
I’m not advocating for elitism or keeping out minorities, I am saying there should be more to the invitation than ability to pay the gargantuan fees for entry/or a ubiquitous social media presence. Other factors that should be considered in the invite list are sense of style, flair and appreciation of the craft, skill, expertise and workmanship that goes into couture. Those qualities transcend ethnicity, race and gender, just like fashion itself.😊
Squeezing yourself into an iconic, dead idol’s dress and throwing a fur over your posterior because the dress won’t zip up despite layers of spanx makes a mockery of the purpose of the gala – to celebrate and preserve a centuries old craft.
IMO, it was the Kardashians and that one year they invited a bunch of influencers like James Charles. I haven’t been interested since then although Blake’s dress last year was pretty iconic.
I agree. When you start rounding out the guest list with YouTubers and TicTokers, no offense but it’s just like “meh”. I’m not a big celebrity follower but this guest list seems like famewhore central.
I also thought that the Kardashians weren’t invited this year?
Kim and Kendall would be invited, because of the former’s notoreity and the latter is a model.
But as for the rest? I don’t think they’d be on the list.
duchess of hazard
And Kendall was one of his Chanel Brides so is a definate and was on the cover of Vogue promoting it
The Statue of Liberty dress would be tough to top.
So glamorous.
KK wearing Marilyns dress was tacky and I’ve lost interest in The Met Gala.
It’s more trashy even if it is meant to be a fundraiser.
That attendance list is looking pretty weak for A-listers.
Yeah, the only glamorous people on that list are Roger Federer and Miss Flo (which isn’t saying much). Isn’t Anna embarrassed by Vogue’s slide into irrelevancy?
Ang
Miss Flo has now cut off all her hair for a role (the thing with AlexSkar maybe) and will show it off tonight. She been running around NY with a wig on this week .
She will be wearing Valentino as she signed with them last week and the creative director is her date foe the MET .She is replacing Zendaya who also signed with Louis Vuitton last week . And apparently her a Flo are now besties in real life with Ashley Park
Karl was a horrible person. I get why they’re doing it but I wish the theme was different.
Blake is boring. Sorry, but she is. I’m reading this so I don’t have to read the post about the Bad Markles!
And shame on them for making the cat perform.
@Bee I truly relate to reading other posts to avoid ones that just grate and I wish weren’t true.
THIS. Karl Lagerfeld was at the very least an elitist, fat phobic and mega snobby mean guy. No need to revolve this whole damn thing about his persona.
And like some else said before, this gala is just a famewh*re central, specially since not only trashy reality tv c-listers make the list, but also the thirstiest social media walking billboards.
Me too! Reading this post rather than the one about the trash family that is. I truly wish this site would not cover them especially since Celebitchy also tweets about the posts which the grifters more oxygen.
Love or hate her style, Blake was a staple at the Met Gala and always was on theme. She put actual effort into what she wore & she wears everything well so I can see why people are upset about her not attending.
I’ll miss her, she is really pretty and always looks great in couture. I can’t help but like her, honestly. I think that copper/verdigris Statue of Liberty dress she wore was fabulous.
I always enjoyed seeing Sara Jessica Parker at the Met Gala. She took the theme seriously & came up with some great looks. It was like watching for Cher at the Oscars. This year’s list of people is pretty sad, laughably so.
The picture where Blake is wearing the spiky gold crown is from the 2018 gala, Heavenly Bodies.
Despite being in the NYC area, I never paid much attention to the gala until I started reading CB a few years back. I also never realized it was a fundraiser for the Met’s costume section, and goes back to the late 1940’s. But in 2018 I was in Manhattan, going to the Met for a different exhibit, and stopped to see the part of Heavenly Bodies at the main building (the other part was at the Cloisters). It was amazing to view in person – so much beauty and creativity on display. These are the Met’s exhibits, after all, and will still be impressive however tacky the gala may become. (There was some public outcry over the Catholic theme for Heavenly Bodies, but as it turns out, the Vatican itself lent several dozen objects, vestments, etc., including one interesting and unexpected item, a beautiful pair of Italian made red leather shoes favored by one of the previous popes.). I haven’t been back since (yet), but would highly recommend at least checking out what’s shown online by the Met about the actual exhibitions once they’re officially open.
Netflix has a series called 7 Days Out, which shows preparations for six noteworthy events in the week before the actual day, e.g., Kentucky Derby, Westminster Dog Show. One of the six is Chanel’s prep for their show during Paris Fashion Week. It was filmed 7 or so years ago, so has a lot of clips of KL at work. It gives a taste of what the Met’s KL exhibit is likely to include, with the plus of seeing the designs in motion on the models during an actual show.
@windyriver I made a special trip to NYC from Canada to see Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic imagination (both at the Met and the Cloisters) and it was pure magic. I don’t think I’ve ever been so moved by so much beauty and craftsmanship, to the point when I reaches the Rodarte series I actually had tears of overwhelm and awe tracking down my cheeks. I’ve wanted to return and would every year if I could. Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel’s association with Nazi Germany was an unfortunate one so I passed on this but look forward to the return of future exhibits. I was sorry to have missed McQueen and China through the looking Glass. Finally weren’t the Vatican vestments breathtaking?
I don’t like Blake or her husband at all (they will forever be “plantation wedding” to me and I find them cloying and performative), so it’s always been annoying when her outfits for the Met Gala are great, including the incredible Statue of Liberty dress.
I’m interested to see what Michaela Coel and Elle Fanning wear and that’s about it, everyone else is a snooze. Hopefully next year’s theme will be less boring/problematic (but I’m not gonna hold my breath).
ML, I feel you about Diva Choupette having to fly to New York for the Met Gala. May I suggest she do a Melania and have a double substitute for her? This would solve all problems. She can even watch herself on TV. I’m happy Megan Thee Stallion and Priyanka Chopra will go. They will surely bring it. Have never been a fan of Blake, unlike others I guess. Frankly, I don’t see her as an actress OR a model, but she had the hustle to make an astonishing life for herself and I do admire her hustle.
I personally find Blake to be vastly overrated so idc about her skipping Met Gala this year. I just hope a lot of legit celebs show up tomorrow and ofc some good, unpredictable gossip. As you can tell, I’m really bored with pop culture right now lol
Edit – Dang! I just remembered Miss Flo is going to make her Met Gala debut tomorrow and according to DailyFail, she’s going to debut her buzz hair cut. Please keep her stans in your prayers cause she’ll be making them fight for their lives 😂 Internet is going to be absolutely brutual.
“but Blake was always so boring at the gala – it was always “a Mall Girl gets dressed up” aesthetic.”
Totally agree with Kaiser.
She’s so overrated, especially considering her lack of career (making a movie every 3 years is not being an active actress).
I think some of the muted response might be that people don’t really know what to expect with this year’s theme. Is it just going to be Chanel archive pieces? Homages to tweed and piping? Wear what you want but add sunglasses and gloves? The last few years have involved a lot of really punchy themes that could be wildly interpreted and poured over and articles guessing about potential looks and this year it’s just… meh?
I think Blake’s actually been one of the more consistent performers at the Met over the last decade. My rubric is you have to be at minimum either on theme or up to the dramatic standard of the Met, and ideally both. She is always both. (And for reference, Giselle is always neither)
The victory parade for her husband’s teams, the Wrexham men’s & women’s teams, is Tuesday, May 2, in Wales. They are expecting thousands on the parade route. Wouldn’t surprise me if there’ll be more than on the “other” golden carriage route.
That’s probably why Blake isn’t going to the Met Gala.
I’m disappointed. Her dresses lately have been one of the highlights of the entire coverage of this event.
1. Wtf is a mall girl 🤣
2. I gotta say I’m worried about Choupette. Who has inherited her? She appeared in the Lagerfeld tribute issue of Vogue and did not look pleased about it. Why are they trying to bring this poor cat to a gala? She’s not human. She’s not a prop. She was Karl’s beloved companion. I think it’s irresponsible for them to use her.
I can’t wait to see what Meghan Thee Stallion wears, I’m sure I’ll be amazing. Also excited about Michaela Coel. Is this her first Met Gala? Either way, she’ll bring it, as will Elle Fanning. Elle definitely is comfortable taking fashion risks, and I think they usually pay off. Another risk-taking blondie who i always think looks amazing is Anya Taylor Joy. She’s not on Kaisers list but I bet she’ll be there, looking fierce. Priyanka Chopra is too pretty to ever look bad. Kristen Stewart will probably look blah. 50/50 on whether I like Florence Pugh’s outfit. No opinion of the rest of the names on the list.
I’m completely sucked in now for the first time in forever. I’m loving watching the arrivals. Lil Nas X! Lizzo! I’m sure lots of posts tomorrow, but I can’t believe I got pulled in. Lol