The 5 Biggest Controversies in Met Gala History

Alyssa Modos, Emily BlackwoodMon, August 31, 2026 at 6:28 PM UTC

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Kim Kardashian attends the 2022 Met Gala; John Galliano attends the 2019 Met GalaCredit: Taylor Hill/Getty; Kevin Tachman/MG19/Getty -

The Met Gala has been at the center of several controversies over the years

The 2014 Met Gala saw Jay-Z and Solange Knowles’ fight in an elevator and a streaker disrupting the red carpet

In August 2026, John Galliano and the Met announced that the planned exhibition honoring the designer had been canceled

The Met Gala may be fashion’s Super Bowl, but sometimes the biggest headlines have nothing to do with the stunning looks.

From streakers to illegal celebrity smoke sessions on the Metropolitan Museum of Art premises, the star-studded gala has faced its fair share of controversies since it began in 1948. The 2014 event was both the setting for Jay-Z and Solange Knowles’ infamous elevator fight and the red carpet’s first — and only — streaker.

More recently, in July 2026, the Met announced that its 2027 Costume Institute exhibition would honor designer John Galliano, whose past antisemitic and racist remarks led to his firing from Dior and a conviction in France. Following weeks of backlash, however, Galliano and the museum announced on Aug. 31 that the exhibition would no longer move forward.

Here’s a look back at the biggest controversies in Met Gala history.

01 of 05

Jay-Z and Solange’s elevator fight

Beyoncé and Jay-Z attend the 2014 Met GalaCredit: Neilson Barnard/Getty

The 2014 Met Gala remains etched in pop culture history — not just for the red carpet fashion, but for the dramatic footage of Jay-Z and Solange fighting in The Standard hotel elevator following an afterparty at the Boom Boom Room in New York City.

Leaked security video footage showed Solange in an intense physical altercation with her brother-in-law while his wife, Beyoncé, looked on. The clips immediately went viral, sparking global speculation about what could have prompted such a violent altercation between the family members.

A source later told PEOPLE that Solange had been “provoked” by fashion designer Rachel Roy, with whom she had spoken earlier that evening.

“Toward the end of the night, Jay said something inappropriate to Beyoncé and Solange, and [Solange] snapped,” the insider said. “When they got in the elevator, it escalated quickly the way family tensions can. It got exceptionally heated the way family moments can.”

In the wake of the footage going viral, the trio released a rare joint statement to the to address the “unfortunate incident,” emphasizing that they had worked through the matter privately. “Jay and Solange each assume their share of responsibility for what has occurred,” the family stated, adding that they had “apologized to each other and we have moved forward as a united family.”

They were also quick to shut down rumors regarding Solange’s state of mind, noting, “The reports of Solange being intoxicated or displaying erratic behavior throughout that evening are simply false.”

In the years since, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have spoken about the fight, the former most famously doing so on her 2016 Lemonade album. She nodded to the drama in her “Flawless” remix, singing, “Of course sometimes s--- go down when it’s a billion dollars on an elevator.”

Meanwhile, Jay-Z shed light on his and Solange’s relationship in a 2017 interview with Rap Radar hosts Elliott Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller.

“We had one disagreement ever. Before and after we’ve been cool,” he said. “She’s like my sister ... I will protect her. That’s my sister, not my sister-in-law.”

02 of 05

Streaker crashing the red carpet

Ukrainian journalist Vitalii Sediuk attempts to crash the “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in New York City.Credit: Michael Stewart/WireImage

The 2014 Met Gala began with a bizarre security breach on the red carpet.

Vitalii Sediuk, an infamous serial prankster known for targeting major celebrity events, attempted to crash the gala wearing nothing but a pink mankini and a gold chain.

The streaker managed to dodge several security guards, darting onto the iconic steps before being tackled and escorted off the premises.

Despite the brief chaos he caused on the red carpet, the event proceeded without further disruption. The moment was caught on camera by dozens of confused photographers, quickly becoming a viral moment.

03 of 05

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Celebs illegally smoking cigarettes in the bathroom

Courtney Love, Marc Jacobs, Frances Bean Cobain and guest smoking at the Met Gala.Credit: Marc Jacobs/Instagram

At the 2017 Met Gala, a group of A-list stars turned a Metropolitan Museum of Art bathroom into an impromptu smoking lounge — and the moment was publicly criticized.

Celebrities posted photos from the bathroom smoke session, with Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson and Marc Jacobs among those seen lounging on the floor and lighting up cigarettes.

The behavior quickly drew the ire of museum donors and board members for their disregard for the museum’s strict non-smoking policy and the potential risk the smoke posed to the priceless art collections, per Page Six.

Additionally, the New York City Department of Health issued a reminder that smoking indoors is a violation of the city’s Smoke-Free Air Act, which carries fines for both smokers and venues.

“This spectacular event awes us all,” Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett wrote in a letter to the museum’s senior vice president, per Business Insider. “We were dismayed to read reports that some celebrities chose smoking as their fashion accessory and flagrantly violated New York City’s smoking laws.”

The museum responded to the letter acknowledging the violation “by a small number of guests” and said it will “take steps to ensure this does not happen again.” No further details were released and a no-smoking rule has since been enforced.

04 of 05

Kim Kardashian in Marilyn Monroe’s gown

Kim Kardashian ; Marilyn Monroe’s dress after wear.Credit: Gotham/Getty; Courtesy The Marilyn Monroe Collection

At the 2022 Met Gala, Kim Kardashian’s attire sparked one of the most polarizing controversies in the event’s history.

The SKIMS founder arrived in the original Jean Louis gown worn by Marilyn Monroe during her iconic “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” performance to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. The dress was lent to her by Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, which purchased the dress from Julien’s Auction in November 2016 for $4.81 million.

Kardashian faced significant backlash for revealing she had to lose a significant amount of weight to fit into the garment. “I tried it on and it didn’t fit me. I said, ‘Give me three weeks.’ I had to lose 16 pounds down today,” Kardashian told Voguecorrespondent La La Anthony on the red carpet.

The public became even more outraged when side-by-side photos circulated on social media, leading many to speculate that Kim had permanently damaged the fragile silk soufflé fabric.

However, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! released a statement denying any damage. Kardashian later denied harming the garment in a November 2025 Vanity Fair lie detector video with her All’s Fair costar, Teyana Taylor.

05 of 05

John Galliano’s canceled exhibition

John Galliano attends the 2019 Met GalaCredit: Kevin Tachman/MG19/Getty

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that its theme for the 2027 spring Costume Institute exhibition — which is celebrated annually at the Met Gala —would be John Galliano: Horizons.

Due to the British designer’s history of antisemitic and racist comments that led to his 2011 firing from Dior, the announcement quickly drew backlash.

“It was a disgusting thing, foul thing that I did. It was just horrific,” he said in the 2024 documentary High & Low — John Galliano, reflecting on the string of incidents, including a video of him professing his love for Hitler, that also led to his hate crime conviction in France.

After weeks of public criticism from museum donors and Jewish leaders in New York, Galliano and the Met announced on Aug. 31 that the exhibition would no longer move forward.

“I remain fully accountable for the pain caused by my words in the past, particularly the hurt I caused to the Jewish and Asian communities, and I remain deeply sorry for it,” he said in a statement, per Vogue.

Galliano added that while he was honored by the opportunity to showcase his work, he recognized that an exhibition “would be painful for some.”

on People

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