Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Missed the 2024 Met Gala

Within the week main as much as the Met Gala, tabloids volleyed predictions about Taylor Swift’s doable attendance: She could be there together with her soccer participant boyfriend, Travis Kelce! Truly, she wouldn’t! She may go however leave Mr. Kelce at home!

On Monday evening, followers lastly received their reply. The get together of the 12 months must go on with out Ms. Swift.

Different notable absences from the purple carpet: Beyoncé, who had not been anticipated to attend, and Rihanna, who appeared poised to be the closing act of vogue’s annual parade of one-upmanship.

Final 12 months, each different visitor had walked the carpet — as had one uninvited cockroach — earlier than Rihanna arrived at 10:15 p.m., wrapped in Valentino camellias that she stated made her really feel “costly.”

Rihanna, 36, who swung from pop stardom right into a prosperous second act as a lingerie and make-up mogul, informed Extra TV earlier within the week that she had deliberate on attending the gala. People magazine reported on Monday that the singer had come down with the flu.

The singer had grow to be probably the most hotly anticipated presences on the Met’s steps. Her flip as a miniskirted pope in 2018 touched off an web frenzy, and the 55-pound, daffodil yellow robe she wore in 2015 helped earn its designer a slot on the haute couture schedule in Paris.

The gala’s affect as a joint promoting alternative for manufacturers, sponsors and celebrities relies upon partly on the extent of star energy that’s keen to point out up. The gala nonetheless attracted boldface names this 12 months, together with Zendaya and Jennifer Lopez, however many followers on-line stated that the dearth of Rihanna had been a blow. (Some even circulated photos of the singer hitting the carpet that appeared to have been created by artificial intelligence.)

Rihanna has been a frequent presence on the gala lately, however Taylor Swift and Beyoncé haven’t attended since 2016.

Ms. Swift started attending the gala in 2008 and was a co-chair in 2016. Prior to now 12 months she has not precisely been hurting for the Met’s highlight: Her Eras Tour stimulated each economic and seismic exercise on its yearlong (and counting) romp all over the world, and her current album, “The Tortured Poets Division,” overcame mixed reviews to grow to be her 14th release to hit reach No. 1 on the Billboard album chart.

Beyoncé attended the gala seven occasions from 2008 to 2016, toying with silhouette in strapless Armani and mermaid-style Emilio Pucci robes. She has recently been main a high-fashion rodeo in wide-brimmed hats and western boots whereas selling her album “Cowboy Carter.”

Even with out displaying as much as the Met on the primary Monday in Might, Beyoncé wields immense energy within the vogue sphere, Vanessa Friedman, the chief vogue critic of The New York Occasions, recently wrote: “She is virtually a Met Gala unto herself.”