Fashion’s biggest night may also be its most elusive.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Benefit, known as the Met Gala, is an invite-only event spearheaded by Vogue’s Anna Wintour and her rotating group of fellow co-chairs. But while the guest list often features many of the world’s biggest stars, there are a few surprising celebrities who—for whatever reason—have never walked the event’s famed stairs.
Take, for example, LeBron James, who has never attended the Met Gala, but is set to remedy that fact May 5 as an honorary co-chair, alongside the night’s co-chairs Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Wintour.
And though Zendaya has established herself as one of the Gala’s most celebrated style icons—and even co-chaired the 2024 event—her fiancé Tom Holland has never made an appearance alongside her on the first Monday in May. In fact, the Spider-Man star told Men’s Health in January that he often avoids walking the red carpet with the Euphoria actress “because it’s not my moment, it’s her moment, and if we go together, it’s about us.”
But the list of non-attendees doesn’t just include superheroes—it also includes everyone’s closest Friends. Indeed, despite their international fame, the NBC sitcom’s alums Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox have not experienced the Met Gala.
And while Princess Diana and Princess Beatrice have been at the banquet, other members of the British royal family, including Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have avoided taking that iconic turn up the Met steps.
Then, of course, there are a few celebrities with unique connections to the Met Gala who’ve yet to attend.
Harry Potter alum Helena Bonham Carter, who portrayed a Met Gala stylist in the 2018 film Ocean’s 8, has ironically not graced the real-life red carpet either.
And when Wintour attended the 2023 Met Gala alongside Oscar nominee Bill Nighy, many users online confused the Love Actually star with TV personality Bill Nye. That mix-up, however, was a reminder that the beloved scientist has never been to the event.
These stars are just a few of the names that have yet to attend the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Benefit. For more celebrities who have surprisingly never been to the Met Gala, keep reading…
Jane Fonda
Chris Pratt
Adele
Meghan Markle & Prince Harry
Kate Middleton & Prince William
Brad Pitt
Britney Spears
Ryan Gosling
Meryl Streep
Drake
Jennifer Aniston
Leonardo DiCaprio
Carrie Underwood
Julie Andrews
Angelina Jolie
Mariah Carey
Dwayne Johnson
Busy Philipps
Dolly Parton
Kesha
Reba McEntire
Ashley Tisdale
Ellen DeGeneres
Jason Momoa
Lisa Kudrow
Helena Bonham Carter
Maren Morris
Tom Holland
Courteney Cox
Christina Aguilera
