The Met Gala is almost upon us, but before your favorite celeb steps on the red carpet for the annual affair that takes place on the first Monday of May, there is already drama surrounding it.
Before we fawn over the celeb fits and judge whether they are following this year’s theme, “Fashion is Art,” one notable attendee’s presence is already sparking backlash.
Posters calling for a boycott/protest of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ attendance at the star-studded event have begun popping up in the Upper East Side, not far from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the gala will be held.
Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez, are the primary sponsors of this year’s Met Gala and are also honorary co-chairs, which isn’t sitting well with folks, especially at the British activist group Everyone Hates Elon.
Other co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams.
In a post on Instagram, the activist group wrote, “Jeff thinks if he poses with A-listers, the world will forget he avoids taxes and supports Trump.”
“But we all know under Bezos, Amazon powers ICE’s deportation machine,” the post continued. “He spent $70 million on Melania’s vanity film to win favor with Trump. He pays so little tax he can send Katy Perry to space. Let’s RUIN his Met Gala.”
The activist group has been focused on Bezos because Amazon has worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and dropped that dreadful Melania documentary.
One poster reads “Bezos Met Gala,” adding, “Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE.”
“The Bezos Met Gala. Brought to you by worker exploitation,” another poster read.
The posters even landed in the NYC subway, with one reading, “Jeff Bezos proudly presents: The Met x avoiding taxes.”
Jeff Bezos’ Involvement Doesn’t Seem To Be Affecting Met Gala Attendance
Keep in mind that a lot of the attendees have spoken out against ICE and how it terrorizes immigrants and Americans. Still, Bezos and Sanchez’s involvement isn’t expected to stop folks from attending.
But there will be one notable absence, and that will be New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife, Rama, according to CBS News.
We will be intrigued to see protests break out as celebs descend on the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
You can peek at some reactions below.
