Celebrities who have never attended the Met Gala, even though we’re dying for them to go

An invite to the Met Gala is notoriously tricky to snag. Not only is the event expensive (it is, after all, a fundraiser for the museum), but there are a limited number of seats. Not everyone can make the guest list.

Some stars are basically Met regulars. Top models like Coco Rocha and Karlie Kloss usually make an appearance, and fashion fans have come to expect head-turning looks from the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Madonna. As an iconically stylish New Yorker, Sarah Jessica Parker always makes a splash, and we have our first real Gen Z Met Icon in Zendaya.

The ladder from onlooker to plus-one to invitee was most famously climbed by Kim Kardashian. In the 2000s and 2010s, she was considered more of an influencer than a bona fide celeb (the presence of influencers at the Met Gala is still a source of major controversy), and only got to go in 2013 because she was with then-fiancé Kanye West.

“I didn’t know anyone & I’m sure no one wanted me there lol,” Kardashian later said of her Met Gala debut, admitting she “Went home and cried” after the evening was over. But as she upped her style game and her star power, Kim not only snagged an invite for herself, but also for the rest of her family. Now, it’s hard to imagine a Met Gala without the Kardashians’ controversial fashion choices sparking discourse.

However, it’s even more difficult to comprehend that certain A-listers have never attended fashion’s biggest night. While you’d probably assume Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston would have co-chaired the event at least once, neither has even so much as walked the famous steps.

Whether due to scheduling conflicts or something else, many of our favourite celebrities have never been seen at the Met Gala. Which is a small shame, since we’d love to see how they’d interpret the themes! Check out these surprising Met Gala no-shows.