'I'm so confused...': Taraji slams celebrities attending Bezos-sponsored Met Gala
What's the story
Hollywood actor Taraji P. Henson has openly criticized celebrities for attending the 2026 Met Gala, which is sponsored by billionaire couple Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. The Empire star supported a social media post by Meredith Lynch, warning attendees against wearing ICE Out pins as Bezos is "part of the reason we're in this f--king mess." Lynch also slammed Bezos for his support of US President Donald Trump, who has slashed arts funding.
Celebrity response
Henson has been a regular at the Met Gala
Henson responded to Lynch's video, saying, "I am so confused by some ppl that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING!?!?!?!" The actor has been a regular at the Met Gala, attending in 2015, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Last year, she wore a custom white corseted minidress by Monse x Post-Imperial with an accompanying tailcoat blazer.
Sponsorship backlash
Activists have called for a boycott of the gala
Bezos and Sanchez are the lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs of the Met Gala 2026, which has a "Costume Art" theme. Other co-chairs include Anna Wintour, Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams. The couple reportedly paid at least $10 million to sponsor the event. Activists have called for a boycott of the gala, projecting messages onto a building visible from Bezos's penthouse that read "boycott the Bezos Met Gala."
Celebrity absentees
Celebrities who are skipping the Met Gala this year
Several celebrities, including Zendaya, Meryl Streep, and Bella Hadid, are skipping this year's Met Gala. A source told Page Six that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also won't attend as it "goes against everything he believes in." The Met Gala is the primary fundraiser for the Costume Institute at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The city saw multiple anti-Met Gala events taking place, protesting against Amazon's employee policies and business tactics.