The Met Gala hasn’t even begun, but the drama already has, courtesy of the billionaire couple who hosted the kickoff party.
Over the weekend, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos threw a pre-Met Gala party at their New York City residence on Saturday, May 2.
The party was meant to be a warm-up ahead of the much-awaited annual fashion event, held on the first Monday of May to support the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City.
Offering $10 million to sponsor Monday’s Met Gala, the 62-year-old Amazon founder and the Emmy-winning journalist, 56, are serving as honorary co-chairs and are the primary donors funding. They reportedly scored major points with Anna Wintour for their billionaire connection to the event.
The couple, who recently spent millions on a film about First Lady Melania Trump’s life, were named as lead sponsors, alongside secondary donors, Condé Nast and Saint Laurent.
This gave the world’s third-richest man and his wife power to influence the invites to the Met Gala and the overall presentation of it.
“The Bezoses are where the American dream is at right now for status, wealth, and style,” William Norwich, a former editor for Vogue told Page Six. “They display conspicuous consumption [and] they have the ‘AWOK’ — the Anna Wintour OK.”
The fashion game was downright excessive at the billionaire couple-hosted pre-game, as stars like Kris Jenner, Sam Smith, Nicole Kidman, Serena Williams, Gayle King, and others attended the event.
Netizens had wild reactions to the looks, asking, “Are they raising money for cosmetic surgery?”
“The rich club. Not for everyone,” one said, while another wrote, “All these celebrities are paid to be there.”
“A pre-party?” one asked. “The actual hunger games celebration isn't enough?”
Here are some of the scandalous looks that Hollywood’s elite wore to the party.
#1 Vittoria Ceretti
Vittoria Ceretti, who has been romantically linked with Leonardo DiCaprio since August 2023, also went braless for the Met Gala pre-game.
She was dressed in a sheer evening dress from Chanel's spring/summer 2026 collection, designed with a fully sheer base dripping in yellow-and-white floral appliqués.
“Why? I really dont understand , and I seriously dont see what is the reason to be nak*d,” one commented online.
She was dressed in a sheer evening dress from Chanel's spring/summer 2026 collection, designed with a fully sheer base dripping in yellow-and-white floral appliqués.
“Why? I really dont understand , and I seriously dont see what is the reason to be nak*d,” one commented online.
Report
17points
#2 Lindsey Vonn
Three months after suffering an Olympic leg injury and needing several surgeries, Lindsey Vonn walked into the couple’s Manhattan apartment with crutches.
The skiing legend wore a long, brown dress and a big smile on her face as she attended the party.
Though she’s in “survival mode” while recovering from her injury, Vonn said she was excited to attend the Met Gala and would try to walk without crutches for the first time in her rehab at the event.
“There are a few stairs. Yes, it’s going to be intense,” she told CNN. “I was like, can I do this? Can I do this? … And it’s been like the thing that I’m like, can I get there? Like, you know, it’s like been the light at the end of the tunnel. And I’m going to try to walk.”
The skiing legend wore a long, brown dress and a big smile on her face as she attended the party.
Though she’s in “survival mode” while recovering from her injury, Vonn said she was excited to attend the Met Gala and would try to walk without crutches for the first time in her rehab at the event.
“There are a few stairs. Yes, it’s going to be intense,” she told CNN. “I was like, can I do this? Can I do this? … And it’s been like the thing that I’m like, can I get there? Like, you know, it’s like been the light at the end of the tunnel. And I’m going to try to walk.”
Report
11points
#3 Sarah Jane Nader
Sarah Jane Nader leaned all the way into the barely-there trend for the weekend soiree.
Her black striped dress played a risky game of peekaboo that the TV personality didn’t care about winning.
Her black striped dress played a risky game of peekaboo that the TV personality didn’t care about winning.
Report
10points
#4 Lisa Rinna
Hinting at a possible Met Gala debut, Lisa Rinna ditched her signature pixie and debuted a faux-hawk for the pre-Met Gala 2026 party.
Joining the “how sheer is too sheer?” contest, the 62 year old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum wore a long-sleeved black gown with a sheer net bodice and high-waisted black skirt.
She posed for the cameras alongside her husband Harry Hamlin.
Joining the “how sheer is too sheer?” contest, the 62 year old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum wore a long-sleeved black gown with a sheer net bodice and high-waisted black skirt.
She posed for the cameras alongside her husband Harry Hamlin.
Report
9points
#5 Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman, who will be co-chairing the May 4 event with Beyoncé, Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour, stepped out in a sleek black blazer and matching high-waisted wide-leg trousers.
Her CEO-style look included a black silk bow tie that she left undone.
Her CEO-style look included a black silk bow tie that she left undone.
Report
9points
#6 Brooks Nader
This Baywatch star, 29, clearly didn’t come to play.
29-year-old Brooks Nader went braless, in a plunging lace gown with panels of black silk.
29-year-old Brooks Nader went braless, in a plunging lace gown with panels of black silk.
Report
7points
#7 Laura Harrier
Actress and model Laura Harrier attended the soiree in a Wiederhoeft Spring 2026 dress.
Her outfit received mixed views, with one saying, “Laura looks so statuesque.”
Another snarked, “That dress is ugly AF.”
When asked by InStyle to describe her style in three words, she said: “ Effortless, chic, and somehow put together and undone at the same time. I know those are kind of opposites, but I want it to feel like both.”
Her outfit received mixed views, with one saying, “Laura looks so statuesque.”
Another snarked, “That dress is ugly AF.”
When asked by InStyle to describe her style in three words, she said: “ Effortless, chic, and somehow put together and undone at the same time. I know those are kind of opposites, but I want it to feel like both.”
Report
7points
#8 Serena Williams
A common fixture at the Met Gala, Serena Williams went artsy with her sculptural minidress, with her husband Alexis Ohanian on her arm.
The tennis star wore a gray Magda Butrym dress with a fitted waist, pleated design, and a floating asymmetric sweetheart neckline.
Her husband wore a black suit, white shirt, and a pair of white Nike sneakers.
The tennis star wore a gray Magda Butrym dress with a fitted waist, pleated design, and a floating asymmetric sweetheart neckline.
Her husband wore a black suit, white shirt, and a pair of white Nike sneakers.
7points
#9 Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour, who has been chair of the ball since 1995, wore an emerald-green satin coat, layered on top of a floral dress.
Although she gave the “‘AWOK’ — the Anna Wintour OK” to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, some celebrities and people from the fashion crowd were not happy with Wintour courting the Bezoses, as it goes against what the Met Gala stands for.
Reports claimed that Zendaya and Meryl Streep were among the stars who decided to skip the event altogether.
The Met Gala is technically a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute and is meant to celebrate fashion as art, craftsmanship, and cultural storytelling. But many believe the Bezoses involvement would turn it into a spectacle and simply put extreme wealth on display.
“I’m heartbroken,” admitted a frequent Met Gala guest and fashion insider. “It’s being able to buy yourself into [the good graces of] Anna and the Met.”
A group of activists were spotted at different locations near the Metropolitan Museumm and posters saying, “Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE” and “Boycott the Bezos Met Gala” popped around the city.
“The Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by worker exploitation,” read naother poster stuck on a wall just a few blocks away from the museum, referencing Amazon’s alleged worker mistreatment.
Although she gave the “‘AWOK’ — the Anna Wintour OK” to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, some celebrities and people from the fashion crowd were not happy with Wintour courting the Bezoses, as it goes against what the Met Gala stands for.
Reports claimed that Zendaya and Meryl Streep were among the stars who decided to skip the event altogether.
The Met Gala is technically a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute and is meant to celebrate fashion as art, craftsmanship, and cultural storytelling. But many believe the Bezoses involvement would turn it into a spectacle and simply put extreme wealth on display.
“I’m heartbroken,” admitted a frequent Met Gala guest and fashion insider. “It’s being able to buy yourself into [the good graces of] Anna and the Met.”
A group of activists were spotted at different locations near the Metropolitan Museumm and posters saying, “Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE” and “Boycott the Bezos Met Gala” popped around the city.
“The Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by worker exploitation,” read naother poster stuck on a wall just a few blocks away from the museum, referencing Amazon’s alleged worker mistreatment.
Report
5points
#10 Stacey Bendet
Keeping in line with the “Fashion is Art” dress code, Stacey Bendet wore art to the party.
The fashion designer and CEO of Alice and Olivia LLC was a walking canvas and painted quite the picture at the party.
“To me fashion is an endlessly creative form of daily art and art is a constant inspiration for fashion” she wrote on social media while sharing a clip of herself looking like an artpiece from a museum.
The fashion designer and CEO of Alice and Olivia LLC was a walking canvas and painted quite the picture at the party.
“To me fashion is an endlessly creative form of daily art and art is a constant inspiration for fashion” she wrote on social media while sharing a clip of herself looking like an artpiece from a museum.
Report
5points
#11 Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner stepped out in a vintage Mugler black dress from the fashion house's Fall/Winter '93/'94 Ready-to-Wear collection.
Dani Michelle styled the model in the dress more than three decades after it hit the Paris Fashion Week in March 1993.
Dani Michelle styled the model in the dress more than three decades after it hit the Paris Fashion Week in March 1993.
Report
4points
#12 Kris Jenner
Midnight blue was the color Kris Jenner went with for the glitzy party.
The Kardashian-Jenner matriarch’s look included a satin evening gown paired with a sparkly jacket.
The 70-year-old Momager recently spoke about her facelift on her daughter Khloe Kardashian’s podcast last month, addressing rumors about her hating her facelift.
“The headline right now is that I hate my facelift and I’m really mad at, I’m furious at my doctor, Steven Levine. Which couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s a flat-out lie,” she said.
“I love my facelift. I adore my doctor,” she added.
Kris said she was “obsessed” with her doctor, describing him as an “artist” who is “one of the most talented, amazing men” she’s ever met.
The Kardashian-Jenner matriarch’s look included a satin evening gown paired with a sparkly jacket.
The 70-year-old Momager recently spoke about her facelift on her daughter Khloe Kardashian’s podcast last month, addressing rumors about her hating her facelift.
“The headline right now is that I hate my facelift and I’m really mad at, I’m furious at my doctor, Steven Levine. Which couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s a flat-out lie,” she said.
“I love my facelift. I adore my doctor,” she added.
Kris said she was “obsessed” with her doctor, describing him as an “artist” who is “one of the most talented, amazing men” she’s ever met.
Report
2points