2018 Met Gala: Behind-The-Scenes Drama You Didn't See
Did you know the Met Gala wasn't always a star-studded extravaganza? Before Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour became gala chair in 1995, it was a pretty regular charity ball. Today, it's a who's who in fashion where celebrities pull out every last sartorial stop in order to catch headlines. While some Hollywood A-Listers love the event (Taylor Swift is always living her best life wherever there's a dance floor), other celebrities dread it.
According to reports, the Met Gala is seen as the Mean Girls of galas. Mean Girls queen (and thus an authority on the subject) Tina Fey labeled the whole thing a "jerk parade" and claimed "every jerk from every walk of life is there wearing, like, some stupid thing." Gwyneth Paltrow, a woman whose very existence would lead us to believe she's a charity ball aficionado, called the event "un-fun" and claimed she "did not enjoy it at all." So, why is the Met Gala so miserable? Could you really have a terrible time in millions of dollars worth of diamonds?
Apparently, the answer lies in the drama — and we're not just talking about gowns with trains so long you can't stuff them into a normal-sized limousine. While the guest selection (handpicked by Wintour herself) is painfully exclusive, there's a whole lot you don't see happening behind the scenes.
Cardi B's entourage reportedly got into a fist fight
Cardi B floated onto the Met Gala red carpet looking the patron saint of fierceness. Unfortunately, what happened after the event was anything but holy. According to Page Six, members of the rapper's entourage got into a physical altercation with a fan.
The incident occurred around 2:15 a.m. outside of the Mark Hotel when self-proclaimed "autograph hound" Giovanni Arnold relentlessly asked Cardi B for her signature, according to Page Six. Eventually, her crew allegedly stepped in, pushed Arnold to the ground, and punched him. One of the men also reportedly stomped on the victim, and, of course, it all seems to have been captured on video. Arnold was then wheeled away in an ambulance for neck and back pain.
Cardi B eventually broke her silence on the incident and more or less said she takes no chances because she's pregnant (as if anyone doubted the Bronx-born rapper wouldn't be a fierce mama bear).
"Some people are not fans & sometimes I don't want no pics and I simply don't want people too close cause of [my pregnancy]," she wrote in a now-deleted tweet (via People), adding, "I don't know what are people's intentions sooo I be careful. Why can't people respect that?"
Pregnancy is exhausting and if the girl doesn't want to give out an autograph to some creepy guy at two in the morning, doesn't she have the right to decline?
Undercover detectives busted smokers in the bathrooms
New York City doesn't play games when it comes to smoking laws. The bad habit is banned in most public places, and, pretty soon, it may actually be illegal to walk and smoke at the same time. Of course, smoking at the Met Gala is strictly prohibited because it poses a major risk to the museum's art collection. The smoking rules are clearly outlined on the exclusive invite, and bold "No Smoking" signs are plastered everywhere throughout the event, but celebs are celebs. They live a life of privilege, and they do what they want (plus, being stuck in a stodgy event with that many egos has got to trip anyone's cigarette addiction). Needless to say, museum donors were furious when they discovered that a few rebels posted selfies of themselves smoking in the bathroom at the event in 2017.
As a result, rule-breaking celebrities at 2018's gala stood to get into a lot more trouble than being firmly cemented on Anna Wintour's naughty list, where shamed stars wake up on Christmas to a lump of K-Mart gift cards rather than Givenchy, probably. According to Page Six, undercover detectives were hired to hide in stalls and catch offenders. There's no word yet on which celebrities faced the long arm of the law, but it's almost certain a few diamond-clad wrists were slapped.
Pope Rihanna was accused of cultural appropriation
In May 2018, the smoke billowed from the chimney of the Internet Vatican. A new Pope had been chosen, and her name was Rihanna. Pope Fenty's Papal-inspired look at the Met Gala was praised by Twitter commentators, who praised their new leader, but, for some, RiRi's bejeweled mitre (commonly known as a Pope hat) was cause for concern.
The Met Gala's theme was officially titled "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," and the Wild Thoughts singer definitely took the theme literally. Despite the fact that the Vatican donated 42 objects from the Sistine Chapel, some Catholics were offended with how the theme played out. According to The Independent, online commentators panned the singer, claiming, "My religion is not your costume," and the outfit was "heresy at its finest." Even Business Insider criticized "social-justice warriors" for leaving "Catholics out to dry" in their praise of Rihanna's controversial look. But when it came to people who officially represent the church, apparently a pope-clad pop star is no big deal (especially when they're busy pleading for peace in Syria).
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, head of New York's Roman Catholic diocese, joked that RiRi had borrowed his headwear. "She gave it back to me this morning. She was very gracious," he said in a SiriusXM interview, later adding, "I didn't really see anything sacrilegious. I may have seen some things in poor taste, but I didn't detect anybody out to offend the church."
Miley Cyrus almost ditched the gala because she was reportedly too hungover
Party girl Miley Cyrus stunned on the Met Gala red carpet in a simple-but-elegant Stella McCartney gown, but she couldn't have done it on her own. We're not talking about her red carpet entourage, pals Paris Jackson and McCartney (okay, a little bit McCartney for the dress). We're talking about ibuprofen and water, the real MVPs of Miley's glamorous Met Gala look and subsequent life-of-the-party demeanor. According to some accounts, Cyrus allegedly almost bailed on the event because of a massive hangover.
Page Six reports that Cyrus, who just dropped a sneaker line with Converse, "drank too much — and then she ate Indian food." She allegedly joked about sleeping "in a pool of [her] own vomit." All-in-all, girl wasn't really feeling up to it but rallied in her sexy backless dress and ended up singing Dolly Parton's "Jolene" in a Kim Kardashian Snapchat video. Case closed: Miley Cyrus is a true party champion and no challenge is too big.
Elon Musk almost had a really awkward run-in on the red carpet
If there was an award for weirdest couple that somehow totally makes sense, Elon Musk and Grimes would certainly have brought home the prize. Apparently, the couple first bonded online after Musk researched a joke he was planning to make on Twitter that compared the terrifying thought experiment Roko Basilisk to Rococo, the ornate French 18th century style, and he found Grimes had made the joke three years prior.
Yep, we live in a world where billionaires research Twitter jokes beforehand rather than miserably failing and deleting them like the rest of us, and we're all somehow supposed to pretend to understand what all of this means. Either way, Musk couldn't have researched what would happen if the pair ran into his ex on the Met Gala red carpet after debuting their new relationship. Luckily, things went a whole lot better than Grimes' 2009 Huckleberry Finn-inspired adventure, where the engine of her makeshift houseboat failed, police seized her live chickens, and the 20 pounds of potatoes on board presumably went to waste.
Musk split from actress Amber Heard in February, then popped up on the red carpet with the musician (whose real name is Claire Boucher) three months later. Luckily, the couple managed to narrowly avoid Heard, who the Daily Mail claims "beamed through the embarrassment" and slayed the event's after-parties. Sometimes, the computer simulation gets things right.
Amber Heard wore a $32 headband made out of zip ties to this formal function
Blake Lively accessorized her unbelievably gorgeous gown with $2 million of jewelry that included a custom-made halo with 100 carats of champagne diamonds. To this, Amber Heard probably rolled her eyes so much she had to hot glue them back into her head. Heard is, after all, a crafting aficionado after her Met Gala getup.
The actress slammed convention when she ditched the standard opulent bling and wore a plastic accessory that didn't cost much more than you'd pay at Claire's. Heard's gold halo headband was reportedly crafted from spray-painted zip ties (yup, the same kind police use when they've run out of handcuffs) and cost her a cool $32. The crown was made by Apatico shop designer Megan Bishop, who hailed Heard for supporting indie designers at what's arguably the biggest fashion event of the year.
The headpiece, which was "inspired by classic images of the Virgin Mary in Catholic art," was a last-minute addition to Heard's glamorous red outfit but kept the actress on-theme.
Nick Jonas actually took the subway to the Met Gala
God granted the Catholic-themed Met Gala some true miracles, and one of those was the fact that Nick Jonas actually got there on time after riding the subway to the event. In the last few years, New York City's subway system has come under major scrutiny. Riders dubbed one season of 2017 as the "Summer of Hell" after various closures, reroutes, and repairs. According to The New York Post, 2018 was doomed to be a sequel, but Jonas was unafraid.
The New Jersey-born singer donned a Dolce & Gabbana suit and bravely headed underground, where the humidity has notoriously tormented New York's hair for over a century. He graciously emerged from the 77th Street stop unscathed and barely broke a sweat on the red carpet. Celebrities: they're just like us except, apparently, the subway chooses not to ruin their hair before they even get to where they're going.
Scarlett Johansson caused controversy with her Marchesa gown
The Met Gala certainly isn't lacking in statement-making fashion — from Rihanna's Papal-inspired outfit to whatever the heck Sarah Jessica Parker was wearing on her head. Scarlett Johansson's dress, which was elegant rather than costumey, made a statement in a different way: it was by Marchesa. The high-end brand was co-founded by disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein's estranged wife Georgina Chapman.
Since the Weinstein scandal, Marchesa has more or less been shunned from the red carpet. It was previously a staple for the likes of Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lopez and was repped on red carpets for the Oscars and the Emmys. Then, amidst Weinstein's inevitable fall from grace, Felicity Huffman admitted that the Hollywood mogul threatened to pull her movie's budget if she didn't wear Marchesa on the red carpet. The brand has suffered ever since, despite the fact that Chapman split from Weinstein shortly after seemingly endless allegations were levied against him.
Johansson, a vocal supporter of Time's Up and Me Too, stood by her decision to wear the gown.
"I wore Marchesa because their clothes make women feel confident and beautiful, and it is my pleasure to support a brand created by two incredibly talented and important female designers," she told Variety.
And thus, the Marchesa blackout was over.
Blake Lively couldn't fit in her car, so she took a bus
There was never any doubt that Blake Lively's Met Gala gown was going to be beautiful. The star has never looked anything less than regal on the red carpet — even when she was pregnant. In fact, she might as well be the Heavenly Body Vogue was talking about. Still, the actress somehow managed to top herself with a gown that was so ornate and so gigantic she couldn't take a regular car to the event.
Lively's custom-made Versace gown was so detailed that it took 600 hours just to embroider the bodice. The over-the-top train was so long that she was forced to take a party bus to the ball (a major step up from Cinderella's pumpkin-turned-carriage, if we're being honest). Lively finished her look with $2 million worth of jewelry and a bespoke Judith Leiber rhinestone clutch that gave a subtle nod to her husband and kids. It was bejeweled with her family of four's initials and their surname "Reynolds."
An actual priest made someone's best-dressed list
The Heavenly Bodies-themed Met Gala was a unique place where clergy members and celebrities came together for the same enormously expensive function (tickets are a reported $33,000 dollars and it's strictly invite only). We don't really blame some people for getting a bit confused about who was who, especially considering the fact that Jared Leto looked like the second coming of Christ in his Jesus-inspired outfit with his full beard. Despite this, there's nothing like the real thing and even Pope Rihanna couldn't outshine the real deal.
In a strange turn of events, Jesuit priest James Martin topped the best-dressed list — or at least, someone's best-dressed list — for just being his regular priest self. The clergy member took to Twitter to share some of his favorite comments from the night, which included, "I love that you got dressed up as a sexy priest" and "You're the best dressed dude here, bro." Sure, Martin didn't have a dress that took 600 hours to make, but his look was 19th century vintage. Sadly, the priest didn't pose on the red carpet, so we'll just have to go to church to catch a glimpse of his sartorial steez.
Anne Hathaway was feeling herself enough to have a full-blown photoshoot
Anne Hathaway was once hailed the "most hated star in Hollywood." She managed to transform from a likeable up-and-comer in The Princess Diaries to a calculated, well-oiled Hollywood machine — at least in front of the public eye. It's important to remember Hathaway's perfectly symmetrical face is still a human one, even if perfection is not everyone's cup of organic, soy milk tea.
Much in the way Gwyneth Paltrow extends her graceful, diamond clad arm out to middle America with ill-advised dietary experiments (like that time she tried to tell everyone you could eat healthy on food stamps), Hathaway has been criticized over her inability to relate to the average woman despite her numerous attempts. She's been panned for being over-calculated and for feigning humility during awards speeches, and she spent her early 30s wearing boring clothes and trying "to disappear." But Met Gala Anne Hathaway is so over it.
According to Page Six, Hathaway was feeling herself so much during the Met Gala that she had a full-blown photoshoot in front one of the exhibitions. It went on for "like a half-hour" and the star was allegedly "acting as if she was Jesus" (though apparently no one told her that role was already taken by Jared Leto). You do you, Anne.
Offset lost his $150,000 chain
Things were kind of tense in the Offset-Cardi B household over the Met Gala weekend. As Cardi B was making headlines for her entourage's late-night scuffle, Offset was apparently frantically calling up Hotel Sixty's lost and found. The Migos rapper somehow managed to check out of his Lower East Side penthouse hotel room without packing up his $150,000 diamond tennis chain.
According to Page Six, Offset realized the pricey chain was missing when he arrived in Atlanta a few hours after checking out. The last time he reportedly saw the necklace was in a jewelry bag on a table; however, rap's royal couple had left their door wide open behind them so people could come in and out of the room. This was a recipe for disaster because, when staff searched the place, there was no chain to be found. Offset's manager Danny Zook reportedly called the police, who are investigating the issue, though Zook downplayed his involvement in the event.
Cardinal Dolan paid someone off to smuggle in hot dogs
With a $33,000 price tag, you'd expect the Met Gala dinner to be world class. For 2018's Heavenly Bodies-themed event, celebs broke (but probably didn't actually ingest) bread catered by Olivier Cheng Catering, who opted for rustic Roman cuisine. The entree included baby lamb chops with fresh mint and almond pesto and branzino with lemon caper brown butter. For dessert, guests dined on luxe gold-dusted truffles and chocolate-dipped cape gooseberries. Though the food may have been fancy, the portions were reportedly minuscule, forcing Cardinal Dolan to commit the cardinal sin of bringing outside food into a private event.
While Kendall Jenner was being praised for her unyielding 'bravery' in scarfing down some French fries before the big event (how dare she eat before wearing a dress), Cardinal Dolan was bribing waiters to get him some street meat.
"I had to tip the waiter to go out and get me a couple of hot dogs from the cart outside the museum," he said in a Sirius XM interview (via The New York Post). "It's one of those like where you needed magnifying glasses and tweezers. I kept trying to eat with my fork and it would fall through the prongs."