13 Controversial or Head-Scratching Met Gala Moments and Looks

05/05/2024 18:16

"It's pretty sexual but … I always like something that's a little controversial."

The first Monday in May marks fashion's biggest night as some of the world's most famous stars step out for the Met Gala.

While the night is sure to be filled with beautiful gowns and over the top accessories, sometimes things get a little controversial on the red carpet as well. Whether it's a political message emblazoned across a gown or an outfit that leaves little to the imagination, there have been plenty of headline-making moments throughout the decades of the high fashion event.

Relive all these controversial Met Gala moments below.

1. Kim Kardashian wears Marilyn Monroe's dress

Kim Kardashian caused a stir when she wore one of Marilyn Monroe's iconic dresses to the 2022 Met Gala. Kim was loaned Marilyn's extremely fragile 1962 "Happy Birthday Mr. President" gown from Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum but when she first tried it on, she was unable to zipper it. After going on an intense crash diet, Kim managed to zip the dress enough to wear it for a few minutes on the red carpet before changing into a replica inside.

Not only were fans upset that Kim went to extreme lengths to lose weight in order to wear the dress but they were also concerned that she had damaged the gown's beading. The museum later denied the claims that Kim had caused the pulling and puckering at the back of the dress and explained that the damage existed prior to the gala.

"Kim Kardashian's walk up the Metropolitan Museum's stairs … did not cause damage to Marilyn Monroe's famed 'Happy Birthday' dress from 1962," the museum shared. "From the bottom of the Met steps, where Kim got into the dress, to the top where it was returned, the dress was in the same condition it started in."

2. A streaker tries to run across the carpet

In 2014, Met Gala attendees were shocked when a man attempted to streak across the red carpet wearing nothing but a hot pink mankini with shoulder straps and a gold chain necklace. After tearing off his suit to reveal the outfit, a police chase ensued and he was tackled to the ground just before he could reach the entrance.

3. Lil Nas X wears nothing but a thong and crystals

Lil Nas X's Met Gala outfit in 2023 definitely turned heads when he showed up in nothing but a silver Dior thong and glitter platform boots. The rest of his nearly-naked body was covered entirely in silver paint and thousands of crystals. Makeup artist Pat McGarth told Vogue that turning the musician into a "modern version of a cat" took nine hours and required a team to "fly all over the globe to find all of the pieces."

4. Kendall Jenner wears a barely-there sheer dress

Kendall Jenner also caused some controversy when she showed up to the Met Gala in a very sheer gown. In 2017, she wore a mesh chain La Perla gown that featured a keyhole cutout across her chest, a dramatic draped back and a thigh-high slit. She left little to the imagination with just a thong underneath -- and definitely faced some criticism for her choice.

"It's pretty sexual, but, yeah, it's cool. It's like, it's very like, I don't know. I always like something that's a little controversial, so, that's kind of that," Kendall told Allure.

5. Jared Leto brings his own head to the event

Met Gala attendees and fans were definitely taken aback when Jared Leto showed up to the event with a very lifelike sculpture of his own head in 2019. While walking the carpet he carried the head under his arm and later posed holding it up for a side-by-side comparison. At the end of the night, Jared says he actually lost the replica of his head -- which reportedly cost over $10,000.

"Honestly, I have no idea," he said when asked what happened to it. "I think someone may have stolen it. If anyone out there finds it, bring it in to your nearest Gucci store in exchange for a pair of dirty sneakers."

6. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "tax the rich" gown

New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought politics to the red carpet when she wore a gown emblazoned with the phrase "Tax the Rich." The wardrobe decision caused some controversy, considering the room was filled with the ultra rich -- and AOC's ticket to the event itself cost thousands of dollars.

"The medium is the message," she later wrote on Instagram. "The time is now for childcare, healthcare, and climate action for all. Tax the Rich…And yes, BEFORE anybody starts wilding out - NYC elected officials are regularly invited to and attend the Met due to our responsibilities in overseeing our city's cultural institutions that serve the public. I was one of several in attendance."

7. Cara Delevingne sends a message to the patriarchy

In 2021, Cara Delevingne stepped out at the Met Gala wearing a bulletproof vest with the words "Peg the patriarchy" written across the front. While some fans appreciated the sentiment, others thought the controversial phrasing took away from the message. On top of that, the slogan was reportedly not credited to its creator, Black queer sex educator Luna Matatas.

"It would have been so easy to give credit," Luna later told Jezebel. "It's such an extension of the tools of patriarchy to have competition, to have very callous ways of being in the same spaces together. We're both feminists, let's lift each other up."

8. Rihanna channels the Pope with her religious look

At the 2018 Met Gala, the event's Heavenly Bodies theme aimed to showcase the influence of the Roman Catholic Church on fashion. Rihanna took that concept to heart, teaming up with designer John Galliano for a custom-made gown that featured crosses and a papal headpiece, which drew inspiration from the pope. While some people admired Rihanna's ornate outfit, others religious fans saw the design as disrespectful and criticized it for making a mockery of Catholic religion.

9. Kanye West wears ripped blue jeans

Kanye West didn't seem to care about the dress code at the 2016 Met Gala when he wore ripped Fear of God jeans to the high fashion event. He paired it with a Balmain jacket and accessorized with piercing blue contacts -- but the overall look was much more casual than the expected white tie attire.

10. Kim Kardashian wears a head-to-toe black bodysuit

Kim Kardashian's Met Gala fashion choices have often turned heads, including her 2021 look where she wore a head-to-toe black Balenciaga bodysuit that even covered her entire face. Kim later explained that the look fit the night's theme of "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion" by saying, "What's more American than a T-shirt head to toe?!"

Meanwhile, she also noted that she couldn't see anything the entire evening. In a photo where her sister Kendall Jenner is standing in front of her looking confused, Kim explained that she didn't know it was her younger sister.

"Kendall was calling my name and I couldn't see who it was but I saw the outline of her sparkly dress 😭," Kim said on her Instagram Story.

11. Jaden Smith brings his own hair as his date

Jaden Smith made an interesting choice at the 2017 Met Gala when he debuted his shaved head. Instead of bringing a +1, he decided to carry some locks of his own hair with him on the red carpet.

"I've gone for the Dracula look today, you know, kind of Matrix vibe…and since I couldn't bring my sister as my date, I brought my old hair," he told Vogue.

12. Sarah Jessica Parker's headpiece

In 2015, Sarah Jessica Parker wore an H&M gown but paired it with some controversial accessories. In honor of the "China: Through The Looking Glass" theme, Sarah donned a Philip Treacy headpiece that some claimed played on skewed and harmful Asian stereotypes. The actress never commented on the controversy but later looked back on the outfit, telling Vogue it was crafted following "inspiration and research."

13. Frank Ocean brings a green baby robot

Frank Ocean had a unique accessory at the 2021 Met Gala, bringing along a neon green robot baby which he carried down the red carpet. The decision definitely confused some fans who didn't see how it fit the American theme that night. When asked about the meaning behind his look, Frank simply said he was inspired by "movie magic" and "America."