30 Times Celebs Were Caught Breaking The Strict Met Gala Rules Red-Handed

Buzz Feed

04-05-2025

Hot Topic
🔥 Full coverage and conversation on the Met Gala
Here are 30 times celebs were caught breaking strict Met Gala rules:
1. In 2017, Rita Ora shared Snapchat pictures with Rami Malek and Dakota Johnson smoking in the bathroom.
2. Also in 2017, Marc Jacobs posted an Instagram picture of himself "smoking in the girls room" with Char Defrancesco, Courtney Love, and Frances Bean Cobain.
3. According to Nylon, Bella Hadid was caught smoking in the bathroom at the 2017 Met Gala as well. In fact, there were so many smokers that year that Dr. Mary T. Bassett, New York City's health commissioner, wrote the Met's senior vice president a letter. Per WWD, she wrote, "This spectacular event awes us all. We were dismayed to read reports that some celebrities chose smoking as their fashion accessory and flagrantly violated New York City's smoking laws...You admire and emulate the designers, models, actors, and other celebrities who attend the Met Gala. We thus are concerned about how images of these celebrities smoking — which were widely shared around the world via social media — will affect youth smoking rates." The Met acknowledged the violation and said they'd "take steps to ensure this does not happen again."
4. In 2019, Cole Sprouse was caught smoking in the bathroom in the background of Luka Sabbat's mirror selfie.
5. In 2023, Doja Cat was caught vaping in the background of Emma Chamberlain's red carpet interview with Jennie Kim.
6. In 2021, Keke Palmer shared a sneaky picture of her disappointing dinner on her Instagram story. After the photo went viral, Chef Marcus Samuelsson, who was the Met Gala chef that year, told TMZ that the meal had been "delicious" and received "incredible" feedback. In a since-deleted tweet, Keke apologized, writing, "I just have different taste buds! I love this Chef, sorry to this man."
7. Similarly, in 2023, Pusha T sneakily posted an Instagram story from the dinner table, calling out Teyana Taylor for smuggling in Chick-fil-A.
8. And on her own Instagram story, Teyana Taylor posted a picture revealing that Pusha T had cleaned his plate. According to Vogue, they were served "chilled spring pea soup with baby vegetables, lemon crème fraîche, and truffle snow, followed by Ōra King salmon with vegetable nage, asparagus, pickled strawberries, and radish."
9. Chris Hemsworth told E! News that, at the 2024 Met Gala, he took "heaps of selfies." He said, "Selfies everywhere. A lot of selfies in my phone. Like, 'When did I take that? Let's delete that one.'"
10. In 2024, Lizzo filmed a TikTok with Uma Thurman and Stella McCartney in the Met bathroom.
11. In 2018, Cole Sprouse took his own pictures inside the Met Gala. The following year, he told GQ he didn't get told off, and he planned to bring his camera once again. He said, "I think much of your responsibility, as a young talent going to these parties, is finding ways to break the rules and sneak a cigarette at the table. Bring the flask."
12. Cardi B's Instagram followers got a close-up of her look in 2024.
13. In 2024, Ayo Edebiri shared an Instagram story selfiwe with Nicholas Galitzine, Kaia Gerber, Troye Sivan, and Rachel Sennott.
14. In 2015, Lenny Kravitz snapped a quick selfie with his ex-wife, Lisa Bonet, and their daughter, Zoë Kravitz.
15. In 2024, Karlie Kloss snuck a pair of red carpet selfies with Amanda Gorman and Imaan Hammam.
16. And Amanda Gorman got a picture with Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor.
17. In 2021, Troye Sivan shared an Instagram picture from the Met Gala urinal, captioning it, "[Rihanna] told [Tom Daley] to take this pic of me weeing 🥲."
View this photo on Instagram
Instagram: @troyesivan
18. In 2024, Venus and Serena Williams were caught snapping a quick sister selfie.
Cindy Ord/MG24 / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
19. One of the most iconic ways celebs break Met Gala rules is the "forbidden" bathroom selfie. In 2023, Billie Eilish took a sneaky selfie with Elle Fanning, Maya Hawke, and Halle Bailey and posted it on her Instagram story.
Billie Eilish / Via Instagram: @billieeilish
20. In 2017, Kylie Jenner took a mega-viral bathroom selfie with a TON of her famous friends, including Ashton Sanders, Luka Sabbat, A$AP Rocky, Kendall Jenner, Paris Jackson, Kim Kardashian, Lily Aldridge, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Frank Ocean, Sophia Li, Slick Woods, and Brie Larson. You can see the photo on Kylie's Instagram here.
J. Kempin / Getty Images
21. In 2016, Alexa Chung and Poppy Delevingne snapped a quick selfie in the crowded bathroom.
View this photo on Instagram
Instagram: @alexachung
22. 2019 was a big year for breaking the "no photos" rule. Then-couple Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez took a sneaky selfie together on his Instagram story.
Alex Rodriguez / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/arod/?hl=en
23. And they got one with Jimmy Fallon too.
Alex Rodriguez / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/arod/?hl=en
24. Spider-Man: Homecoming costars Laura Harrier and Zendaya snuck some silly selfies together, which Laura posted to her story.
Laura Harrier / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/lauraharrier/?hl=en
25. Riverdale costars Madelaine Petsch and Lili Reinhart posted a sneaky selfie on Madelaine's IG story.
Madelaine Petsch / Via Instagram: @madelame
26. Serena Williams posted a forbidden bathroom selfie with Ciara to her story.
Serena Williams / Via Instagram: @serenawilliams
27. Model Luka Sabbat broke the no selfies and no smoking rules.
Luka Sabbat / Via Instagram: @lukasabbat
28. In 2023, Lil Nas X broke the "no selfies" rule about a million times with about a million different celebs, like Ke Huy Quan.
pic.twitter.com/QsnRl9tN68
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Kim Kardashian.
pic.twitter.com/96gD1Z6Yc2
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Billie Eilish.
pic.twitter.com/J4W5G9F3t7
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Conan Gray and Olivia Rodrigo.
m pic.twitter.com/de1mth7gUr
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Cara Delevingne.
pic.twitter.com/4UFoot5tMq
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Bad Bunny.
pic.twitter.com/JoxySiku5T
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Paris Hilton.
pic.twitter.com/VGJaH8Mu5S
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Pete Davidson, Bianca Saunders, and Usher.
pic.twitter.com/BD3Yl0QDQh
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Maluma and Anitta.
pic.twitter.com/FNRomBvzIr
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Doja Cat.
pic.twitter.com/zDRlSFKXwc
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Jack Harlow.
pic.twitter.com/MJHC6ie9qN
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And Naomi Campbell.
pic.twitter.com/OSfqeZ04xA
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
And he got a solo shot to show off the full 'fit.
pic.twitter.com/dY2kcy5J02
— ☆ (@LilNasX) May 2, 2023
Twitter: @LilNasX
RULE: In The First Monday in May, Sylvana Durrett, Vogue's director of special projects, reportedly said that event staff "subtly monitor" guests to make sure they're chatting instead of being on their phones. She said, "Anna is sort of an old-school traditionalist. She likes a dinner party where people are actually speaking to each other. We aren't sitting over people's shoulders, but if it's an obvious thing, we might gently remind them."
29. As she shared on Instagram in 2023, Cardi B had her phone out — but for a super sweet reason! She FaceTimed her oldest daughter, Kulture, with Billie Eilish.
Cardi B / Via instagram.com
RULE: While it's not necessarily a Met Gala-specific rule, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour shared a specific style rule in a 2019 "Go Ask Anna" video: "Don't wear all black. It seems too gloomy as if one's going to a funeral."
30. And finally, at the 2024 Met Gala, Anna Wintour broke her "no wearing black rule" by donning a long, black Loewe coat.
Kevin Mazur/MG24 / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue