All the Usual Met Gala Guests Who Were No Shows This Year and Why

07/05/2024 19:17

While regulars like Zendaya, the Kardashians and J.Lo were joined by new faces including Tyla and Ayo Edebiri, some usual suspects opted out of the annual red carpet.

When it comes to the Met Gala there are the usual staples that viewers are expecting to see -- Anna Wintour (obviously), Kim Kardashian, Zendaya, Blake Lively and Rihanna... just to name a few.

However, this year, fans were left wondering where many of their favorites were as they watched A-listers flood the steps at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, only to be left disappointed that some never showed.

The 2024 Met Gala is now the second in a row Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have skipped, choosing to spend time at home rather than on the red carpet, according to Elle. The pair are staples on the carpet with Lively constantly pulling out all stops to create dazzling looks year after year.

Rihanna -- Queen of the Met Gala -- had fans excited when she teased her supposed "simple" look.

"I'm actually just keeping it real simple this year. Very simple," the 36-year-old told Extrain an interview published on Saturday, April 27. "I think it's gonna come to what my makeup and what my hair is going to do. We wanna play with that, but I have no idea what I'm gonna do with that."

The musician further teased that the look is more demure "compared to everything" she's previously worn to the annual benefit.

"I'm showing up for dinner," Rihanna added. "Shout-out to Anna Wintour."

But, come Monday night, she never materialized. According to PEOPLE, she had to duck out of the event after coming down with the flu.

Kim Kardashian's Met Gala Outfit Explained: Why She Wore 'Gap Sweater' Over Corseted Look

Meanwhile, Katy Perry's mom thought her daughter was at the Met Gala, after Perry became the unwitting victim of AI.

A deepfake image of Perry began circulating the internet of her on the carpet, before she shared the photo herself to Instagram. The image, she said, had somehow made it all the way to her mom -- who texted her, "Ha Feather! Didn't know you went to the Met. What a gorgeous gown. You look like the Rose Parade, you are your own float lol."

She also confirmed she "couldn't make it to the MET, had to work."

Another power couple many fans were hoping would making an appearance was Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

According to TMZ,the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Grammy winner both received invitations to attend, but both declined. Swift last attended in 2016, when she was a co-chair, while she and Kelce have yet to hit a red carpet together.

Swift is getting ready to begin the European leg of her Eras tour in Paris.

And similar to Swift, Beyoncé has not graced The Met steps since 2016.

Many believed this could have been Bey's year to reawaken her Met Gala presence due to the buzz around her new album Cowboy Carter and the launch of her haircare line Cécred.

Alas, maybe next year.

Billie Eilish was also no where to be seen.

She too had some recent announcements which had fans hoping she would be on the carpet. Eilish recently announced her next world tour for her new album Hit Me Hard and Soft, which drops May 17.

So, where was she? The singer posted on her Instagram Stories that she spent Met Monday signing vinyl copies of her upcoming album.

Others who were MIA:

- Ben Affleck, who was busy filming The Accountant 2 in Los Angeles while J.Lo co-chaired the event.

- Chrissy Teigen, who joked it was because she hurt her neck doing a handstand before revealing she was "never going to the Met this year" on her Instagram Story.

- Nicola Peltz didn't join husband Brookyn Beckham, instead having a "cupcake party" with her grandmother while watching a livestream of the arrivals.

- Anitta bailed on the gala after getting invited to Madonna's big concert in Brazil, where she was an on-stage guest over the weekend.

- Miranda Kerr spent the night at home with her newborn baby.

Check out the gallery below to see who did make it!