Blake Lively, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift among stars who missed the 2025 Met Gala

USA Today

06-05-2025

Blake Lively, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift among stars who missed the 2025 Met Gala
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Jessica Parker, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, and Lady Gaga were among the biggest stars missing at the annual Met Gala in New York City.
The pouring rain in New York on the first Monday of May did not dampen the mood as celebrities arrived at the Met Gala looking their dandiest in line with this year's dress code "Tailored for You," at fashion's biggest night of the year.
While A-listers including Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Rihanna - at the very last minute! - along with chairs Pharell Williams, Usher, A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton and Colman Domingo were present, notably absent this year were some of the fundraiser's biggest style icons. It is not yet known why most of these A-listers who have made a big splash with their looks in recent years were absent from the exclusive, invite-only event.
The annual fashion extravaganza, one of the most coveted events of the year, returned May 5 in conjunction with the Costume Institute's "Superfine" exhibit, challenging attendees to put their bespoke spin on the spiffiness of dandyism.
Here are some of the big names who were not seen on the red carpet.
Met Gala 2025 best dressed: Diana Ross, Colman Domingo and Sabrina Carpenter embody dandyism
Met Gala darling Blake Lively skips Met Gala amid Justin Baldoni legal drama
Lively, whose film "Another Simple Favor" dropped May 1, skipped the event for the third year in a row amid her ongoing legal battle with actor Justin Baldoni.
The "It Ends With Us" star, 37, has made some solid fashion statements on the famed steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, with one of her most head-turning looks being the Atelier Versace gown she wore to the 2022 Met Gala for the "Gilded Glamour" theme, which – when the train was unveiled – revealed an ode to the Statue of Liberty and its green patina that has formed over its original copper surface.
She and Reynolds were also co-chairs that year.
Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce Met Gala debut? Not this year
While anticipation over whether Swift would return to the Met Gala red carpet this year with boyfriend Kelce was high, the duo was a no-show at the event.
Swift, who made her Met Gala debut in 2008, last attended the event in 2016, when she co-chaired the event alongside Jony Ive, Idris Elba, and Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. The event's theme that year was 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology' and Swift wore a custom metallic minidress by Louis Vuitton, complementing her look with black lipstick, strappy heels, and a platinum bob.
Did Beyoncé take a Cowboy Carter Tour break for the Met Gala?
Once a fixture at the annual gala, Beyoncé has not attended the high-profile event since 2016, when she wore a custom latex Givenchy gown with a constellation of floral and bead embellishments.
The songstress is currently on tour with her long-awaited Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour, which kicked off in Los Angeles on April 28. Beyoncé's sister Solange Knowles, meanwhile, was in attendance.
Lebron James, Met Gala co-chair, skips due to injury
LeBron James will have to wait another year to make his Met Gala debut.
The professional basketball player, who was also honorary chair of the 2025 Met Gala host committee, announced hours before the event that he wouldn't attend the event because of the knee injury he suffered when the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA playoff series last week.
His wife, Savannah James, attended.
"Hate to miss an historical event! My beautiful powerful Queen will be there holding the castle down as she always has done!" James had written in a post on X.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga and her dramatic flair were missing from this year's event. The actor-singer last attended a Met Gala in 2019, for which she was also a co-chair. For that year's edition, Lady Gaga outdid herself with an eye-popping sequence of four looks, which started with a massive fuchsia gown by Brandon Maxwell. After removing the dress to reveal an asymmetrical floor-length black number, the pop star unveiled a hot pink dress underneath.
Her final look on the red carpet had Gaga stripped down to a black bra and underwear set with glittery stockings.
Cynthia Erivo hit the Met Gala. Was 'Wicked' co-star Ariana Grande there?
Cynthia Erivo walked this year's Met Gala red carpet without her "Wicked" co-star Ariana Grande as the latter skipped the event this year.
Grande and Erivo, who play Glinda and Elphaba respectively in the Oscar-nominated film, appeared on the red carpet together last year as they promoted their film. This year, Erivo was spotted taking pictures with Doja Cat and Marc Jacobs.
Did Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry attend Met Gala?
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have never attended the Met Gala.
The couple, who moved to the United States in 2020 following a split with the royal family, recently attended the TIME100 summit in New York City.
After a rocky start to post-royal life, with the pair's infamous bombshell Oprah interview and mixed reviews about his tell-all book "Spare," the two appear to have found their footing with Meghan reemerging with a pair of pre-Harry-inspired pursuits in 2025 including a Netflix show, "With Love," and a companion lifestyle brand, As Ever. She also hosts a popular new podcast "Confessions of a Female Founder."
Harry, too, is set to become a Netflix star soon and produce a program for the streaming service that will gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional polo, his beloved sport.
Black fashion influencer Wisdom Kaye says he wasn't invited
While the theme for this year's gala was centered around Black "dandyism," defined as a "man unduly devoted to style," Black fashion influencer and model Wisdom Kaye said he wasn't invited.
"I was not invited to the met, I know you guys wanna see me there so just letting y'all know," the model, 24, wrote in a post on X May 4. "Looking forward to seeing all the beautiful interpretations of black dandyism tmrw :)."
Did the KarJenners attend?
Not all the Kardashians are keeping up with the Met Gala. While Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner were at the event, Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian missed it. Kourtney and Khloe last attended the fundraiser in 2022. Kris was present last year.
J Lo and Sarah Jessica Parker also absent
Also, notably absent this year were Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Jessica Parker, both of whom attended last year and are Met Gala regulars.
Parker, who attended last year's gala in a Richard Quinn ensemble, told Entertainment Tonight last week she is too busy with work to attend.
'I have to work, but there's gonna be so much to see, and I look forward to seeing what everybody does," Parker told the media outlet. "And I can't wait to see how they interpret the theme and the sort of homework they did for the assignment.'
Contributing: Jay Stahl, USA TODAY / Reuters
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [e-mail] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.