Rihanna is Surprise No-Show at Met Gala, and More Stars Who Skipped Fashion’s Biggest Night

The Met Gala is always about who turned up, what they were wearing — and who didn’t show. This year, there were a number of fashionistas who fans missed seeing on fashion’s biggest night.

Rihanna

Surprise! Always one of, if not the most anticipated guest at the Met Gala every year is RiRi. Though many had expected her to attend this year, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that she stayed home due to an unexpected bout with the flu. The news, first reported by People, came as a shock and broke late in the night while the carpet was full with stars and photographers. Rihanna had even teased her strategy for this year’s event, telling Extra that she had planned to keep it “real simple.”

Taylor Swift

Though she’s far from a ubiquitous presence at fashion’s biggest night — her last appearance there came way back in 2016 — there’s always an anticipation over whether the world’s reigning No. 1 superstar will turn up. The fever got even hotter this year with speculation that she could attend on the arm of her Super Bowl-winning beau Travis Kelce. There was a slew of headlines in recent days speculating whether she’d turn up but People reported on April 29 that she would be sitting this one out in favor of final prep and rehearsals ahead of the European leg of her blockbuster Eras Tour, which kicks off on Thursday in Paris.

Jared Leto

The Oscar winning actor has put on many head-turning performances at previous Met Galas. From turning up in a cat costume to honor Karl Lagerfeld last year to posing with his own head back in 2019, the veteran star never fails to disappoint. However, this year Leto may have let more than a few people down by skipping the 2024 Met Gala. During an interview with E! News correspondent Will Marfuggi at the recent iHeartRadio Music Awards, Leto revealed the reason why. “Back on the road,” Leto said referencing his current tour with his longtime band 30 Seconds to Mars. “It’s been five years.” The band kicks off a world tour on Thursday, May 9, with a show at Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland. The run continues through October, when they will wrap at Spectrum in Oslo, Norway. “I will be there in spirit with my head and my cat,” he added, “Wishing everybody a beautiful night.”

Beyoncé

Like Swift, this superstar has not attended the Met Gala since 2016, when she turned up in a skintight, latex gown by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy. The year before that, she also turned up in a head-turning ensemble by Givenchy. It is not expected that Bey or husband Jay-Z will be attending this year, though Page Six reported about rumors that the pair will host an afterparty.

Harry Styles

The Grammy Award-winning superstar has made a mark at the Met Gala in years past (see his Gucci look below) but did not attend the big event on Monday. It’s not a huge surprise, considering Styles has kept a low profile this entire year despite a rumored romance with Taylor Russell, who attended her first Met Gala this year. The Daily Mail published images of him from over the weekend riding a bicycle in London.

Ben Affleck

The Oscar winner’s wife, Jennifer Lopez, served as a co-chair for this year’s Met Gala and many expected him to come along for the ride. However, Affleck was a no-show at Monday night’s event with a rep for the actor confirming to People that he stayed back in Los Angeles where he’s currently filming The Accountant 2. He also had a busy weekend, turning up Sunday night at the Kia Forum for Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady. If he would’ve been able to swing a cross-country trek, Affleck would’ve had pals to hang out with, as his longtime close friend Matt Damon attended the Met Gala with his wife, Luciana Barroso, and told LaLa Anthony during the Vogue live stream that he was excited to catch up with friends inside the gala. Alas, not Affleck.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

The onetime co-chair, who turned up at the 2022 event in a dramatic Atelier Versace gown that transformed into a second look live on the red carpet, was a no-show on Monday night. Also absent was her A-list husband, who is currently prepping for the release of his latest blockbuster, Deadpool & Wolverine. No word yet on what pressing engagement kept them away.

Anne Hathaway

The Oscar winner had a new movie out this past weekend, The Idea of You, so it would’ve been a good opportunity to take a victory lap. But Hathaway was a no show on Monday, leaving fans with only the idea of what she could’ve worn as a Versace ambassador. Her Idea of You costar Nicholas Galitzine made his Met Gala debut and told Entertainment Tonight on the carpet that the actress “gave me a pep talk this morning. She said, enjoy it.”

See all the Met Gala red carpet arrivals here.