The Shady Reason The Trump Family Stopped Going To The Met Gala
Some of the biggest celebrities have walked the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and if they haven't yet, they're dying for a costly ticket to the Met Gala. Donald Trump and several of his family members have attended fashion's biggest soiree on multiple occasions, but in the past few years, you wouldn't spot a Trump family member within 100 feet of the event, and there's a shady reason why.
The former U.S. president began attending the Met Gala in the 1980s when he was still married to his first wife, Ivana Trump. The Trumps were like the original Kardashians; as each year passed, it seemed like a new family member was invited. Melania Trump began accompanying her future husband in 2003 before Ivanka Trump joined the Met Gala crew in 2004. Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, would later join in on the Trump family outing in 2009.
Throughout the 2000s and into the 2010s, at least one member of the Trump family would be at the exciting event. It seemed like there was no separating them from the Met Gala, but things changed. 2012 was the last time Donald and Melania would attend the Met, and 2016 marked the end of the Trump family ever showing up with Ivanka and Kushner posing one last time for photos. Since then, no Trump family member has walked the stairs of the Met, and it's not just because of Donald's boring outfits but because the former president got disinvited.
Anna Wintour won't extend any more Met Gala invites to Donald Trump
Anna Wintour made her thoughts clear about where Donald Trump stood on the Met Gala invite list, and that was, he was forever banned. The Vogue editor-in-chief has the final say on who stays and who goes on the guest list and Trump was booted from ever getting an invite.
In 2017, the fashion editor appeared on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," and during the "Feel Your Guts or Spill Your Guts" segment, Corden asked Wintour a bold question. He said, "You famously host the celebrated Met Gala that takes place in Manhattan each year. Celebrities from all walks of life are desperate to get a ticket ... So, my question is, who would you never invite back to the Met Gala?" Wintour could have eaten the disgusting food in front of her to avoid the question, but she didn't hesitate to respond. Wintour said, "Donald Trump." The media executive didn't elaborate on her reasoning for choosing Trump, but many speculated it had to do with his many controversies as he has faced sexual harassment, corruption, and many more issues.
Wintour's 2017 comment explains why we haven't seen a Trump family member at the Met Gala since Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attended in 2016. Donald may be the first person Wintour has explicitly disinvited, but a handful of celebrities were also rumored to be banned from the event, including Demi Lovato, Tim Gunn, and Tina Fey.
Did Melania Trump play into Trump family Met Gala ban?
There has been some rumored tension between Melania Trump and Anna Wintour for years now. It reportedly all started in 2016 after an incident at the Trump Towers. Melania's White House aide, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, shared the details of the situation with journalist Amy Odell, who wrote about it in her book, "Anna: The Biography." Wintour had reportedly visited the Trump Towers and didn't inform the former first lady about the visit. Wolkoff said that Melania was "so offended" the Vogue editor didn't let her know about the visit and that she "didn't even say hello" to the former model. Odell wrote, "Melania didn't understand that she had been invited to Anna's events not because she was a friend, but simply because she had appeared on the February 2005 cover of Vogue."
Before this situation, Melania not only was on the cover of Vogue but also attended several Met Galas. The last time the former first lady walked the red carpet at the Met was in 2012 when she accompanied Donald. However, the Trump Tower incident seemed to sour whatever relationship they had, and the rest of the family. As mentioned, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were the last to attend fashion's biggest night in 2016, the same year Melania and Wintour's story was revealed. So, the former first lady might have put the nail in the coffin of the Trump family ever returning to the Met Gala.