The 2024 Met Gala saw celebrities from all walks of the industry come out for a night full of jaw-dropping fashion; however, some of the biggest names in Hollywood opted to skip this year’s event.
Despite some no-shows, the annual soirée, which was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Monday, May 6, hosted a slew of famous faces, including Kim Kardashian, Zendaya, Bad Bunny and Angel Reese, all of whom showed off fabulous looks for fashion’s biggest night. .
The Metropolitan Museum of Art previously revealed that the theme of this year’s gala was “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” with the dress code being “The Garden of Time.”
The title draws from The Met’s collection of “rarely seen” items that will be “displayed in an entirely new way,” per Vogue. Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French director and CEO, explained, “This innovative show will push the boundaries of our imagination and invite us to experience many facets of a work, to learn more about its history, and ultimately to gain a deeper appreciation of its beauty.”
Vogue provided a bit more context surrounding the theme on April 15, explaining that the exhibition will act as a “garden of time.”
“Think about how a garden gets its beauty from many different flowers and plants, now imagine the garden is the Met and the flowers are the attendees in looks inspired by fashion’s many historical periods,” read an excerpt from the article.
Keep reading for the five celebs who surprisingly skipped the 2024 Met Gala.
Anne Hathaway
Fans were surprised to see Hathaway, 41, missing from Monday night’s star-studded gathering, as it was anticipated for her to attend. Though she wasn’t there in person, her The Idea of You costar Nicholas Galitzine revealed that Hathaway gave him a pep talk before his first-ever Met Gala.
“It’s my first Met, so I’m excited to be here,” Galitzine, 29, told Entertainment Tonight. “She gave me a pep talk this morning. She said, enjoy it.”
The actress has been a familiar face at the event; she previously attended in 2023, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2010 and 2009.
Blake Lively
Lively, 36, who is usually a staple at the glamorous event, opted out of attending this year. Her husband, Ryan Reynolds, was also not in attendance.
Harry Styles
Though Styles’ girlfriend, Taylor Russell, walked the carpet in a barely-there goddess-like ensemble, the “As It Was” artist, 30, was noticeably absent. Styles previously attended his first and only Met Gala in 2019.
Beyoncé
Fresh off her Cowboy Carter album release, fans were hoping to see Beyoncé, 42, at this year’s gala, but she appeared to opt out of attending. The last Met Gala Beyoncé went to was in 2016, when the theme was “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.”
Rihanna
Though the Fenty Beauty founder, 36, initially planned to attend, a source told People that she had to cancel after coming down with the flu.
She previously teased her look for the event, telling Vogue last month, “I’m gonna wear Fenty something! Fenty Beauty, Fenty Skin, Fenty Savage.”
Rihanna has been a staple at the Met Gala in recent years, attending in 2023 and 2021 with partner A$AP Rocky. Both times they showed up fashionably late. She also served as co-chair for 2018’s theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.”
