They usually have no problem packing on the PDA – but when it came time to walk the Met Gala red carpet, stars including Harry Styles, Timothée Chalamet and Justin Trudeau left their partners adrift on the Met’s iconic steps.
Styles’s fiancée, Zoë Kravitz, had to walk at the event by herself, as did Chalamet’s girlfriend Kylie Jenner and Trudeau’s pop-star love Katy Perry.
Other stars in the embarrassing position of arriving alone at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit – better known as the Met Gala – included Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid, Vittoria Ceretti.
Even Blake Lively was left to walk the red carpet alone just hours after she settled her long-running legal battle with Justin Baldoni.
One of the more surprising missing faces from the 2026 gala was Styles, who recently got engaged to Kravitz after eight months of dating.
Before the big day, fans had wondered online if the lovebirds – who tend to keep a low profile – might use the Met Gala as an opportunity to make their long-awaited red carpet debut as a couple.
There were plenty of high-profile couples walking the iconic steps of the Met Gala on Monday evening, but some of the biggest stars were noticeably walking without their famous partners. Zoë Kravitz’s fiancé Harry Styles was absent, as well as Kylie Jenner’s boyfriend Timothée Chalamet; Styles is pictured on the left in February and Chalamet is seen April 14 on the right
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is better known from the world of politics, but he also appeared to skip out on the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit, better known as the Met Gala , which falls on the first Monday in May every year
Instead, they sent an odd message to fans when Kravitz appeared to ditch her diamond engagement ring when she arrived at the red carpet.
It’s unclear if Styles had other plans he couldn’t change for the Met Gala, but other stars definitely had other things in mind for Monday night.
While his girlfriend Kylie Jenner caused a sensation on the red carpet with her divisive ensemble – which featured fake imprinted nipples and bleached eyebrows – Chalamet skipped all the commotion in favor of one of his favorite pastimes: attending a Knicks game.
The 30-year-old Oscar nominee was pictured grinning and chatting with friends as he headed to his seat at Monday night’s game at Madison Square Garden against the Philadelphia 76ers.
His lack of presence was a stark contrast to the loved-up displays Jenner put on with him as she supported him on red carpets throughout awards season as part of his doomed campaign to win best actor at the Oscars for Marty Supreme.
Meanwhile, Jenner stood out on her own for all the wrong reasons, as fans blasted her edgy ensemble on social media.
Some of the missing men at the Met Gala may have dodged a bullet, as their partners were judged to be among the worst-dressed stars this year thanks to controversial and confrontational looks.
The theme of this year’s event – widely considered the Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets – is ‘Costume Art,’ while the dress code is ‘Fashion Is Art.’
Fans wondered if Harry Styles and Zoë Kravitz might make their red carpet debut as a couple after recently getting engaged; pictured in March in NYC
Instead, Styles was absent as Kravitz walked the red carpet alone after ditching her diamond engagement ring
Chalamet and Jenner put on plenty of loved-up displays as she supported him on red carpets throughout awards season as part of his doomed campaign to win best actor at the Oscars for Marty Supreme
But when it was Met Gala time, Jenner was on her own while Chalamet did one of his favorite things – catching a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden. He was seen grinning and chatting with friends as he headed to his seat (pictured)
The dress code calls on the A-list attendees to explore how designers use the human body as a blank canvas.
Among the women whose attempts to live up to the theme fell flat was Katy Perry, who wore a bizarre silver face shield attached to white mesh with black fabric resembling a nun’s coif that covered her hair and draped down her back.
It wasn’t clear why her boyfriend Trudeau didn’t walk with her, though the couple has also kept a fairly low profile in recent months.
However, they haven’t been afraid to share glimpses of their relationship on social media, and Perry and the Canadian politician already made their red carpet debut in October in Paris.
Jenner wasn’t the only member of the Kardashian–Jenner Clan to walk without her partner.
Her older sister, Kim Kardashian, stunned in a hardshell metallic orange bodysuit with a matching brown-and-orange leather skirt, but her boyfriend, Lewis Hamilton, was nowhere to be seen.
Hamilton may have had an excuse, as the esteemed Formula One racing driver had been down in Florida to compete in the Formula One Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix.
The final race – in which Hamilton placed sixth – only wrapped up on Sunday and may not have given him much time to prepare for the Met Gala.
Among the women whose attempts to live up to the theme fell flat was Katy Perry, who wore a bizarre silver face shield attached to white mesh with black fabric resembling a nun’s coif that covered her hair and draped down her back
Her boyfriend Justin Trudeau may have dodged a bullet, even though the two have looked more loved-up than ever in recent months
Jenner wasn’t the only member of the Kardashian–Jenner Clan to walk without her partner. Her older sister, Kim Kardashian, stunned in a hardshell metallic orange bodysuit with a matching brown-and-orange leather skirt, but her boyfriend, Lewis Hamilton, was nowhere to be seen
Hamilton may have had an excuse, as the esteemed Formula One racing driver had been down in Florida to compete in the Formula One Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix. The final race – in which Hamilton placed sixth – only wrapped up on Sunday and may not have given him much time to prepare for the Met Gala
Jenner’s longtime friend Hailey Bieber was also missing her husband Justin on the red carpet.
She glowed in a gold breastplate that she paired with an elegant blue skirt, but the pop superstar was missing in action.
However, it’s not unusual for Justin to miss a red carpet event that his wife is walking at.
Some charitable fans have theorized that he may not want to steal Hailey’s spotlight, and others have lambasted him in the past for distracting from her pristine looks with his unkempt streetwear style.
Ryan Reynolds has supported his wife Blake Lively in recent months as she waged a legal battle against her former It Ends With Us director and costar Justin Baldoni.
Baldoni had denied Lively’s initial claims that he had sexually harassed her, and a judge later struck down 10 of her 13 claims, including the harassment allegations.
However, her claims of retaliation from Baldoni’s production studio Wayfarer and the film’s production company, aiding and abetting in retaliation — which was directed at a PR firm Baldoni hired — and breach of contract against the production company all survived, allowing the lawsuit to continue.
But just hours before she was set to arrive at the Met Gala, the Daily Mail reported that Lively had settled her lawsuit with Baldoni’s production company, allowing them to avoid a high-profile trial set to kick off on May 18. The terms of the settlement were not announced.
Jenner’s longtime friend Hailey Bieber was also missing her husband Justin on the red carpet. She glowed in a gold breastplate that she paired with an elegant blue skirt, but the pop superstar was missing in action
It’s not unusual for Justin to miss a red carpet event that his wife is walking at. Charitable fans have theorized that he may not want to steal Hailey’s spotlight, and others have lambasted him in the past for distracting from her pristine looks with his unkempt streetwear style; seen in February in LA
Ryan Reynolds has supported his wife throughout her legal battle against It Ends With Us director and costar Justin Baldoni, but he was oddly missing at the Met Gala, just hours after she settled her long-running lawsuit; pictured in 2024 in NYC
Reynolds was absent for what could have been a triumphant moment with his wife, though Lively still seemed to luxuriate in her triumph
Reynolds was absent for what could have been a triumphant moment with his wife, though Lively still seemed to luxuriate in her triumph while wearing a gown with a sequined halter top and a voluminous multicolored skirt that piled up behind her like a mass of sheets.
It’s unclear if it was always planned for Reynolds to sit out the red carpet, but the moment left the spotlight on his wife in her moment of triumph.
The model Vittoria Ceretti is likely used to walking red carpets without her A-list boyfriend, Leonardo DiCaprio, as he’s famous for avoiding public spectacles and disguising himself by wearing masks and baseball caps cocked so low that they nearly cover his eyes
The two put on a rare loved-up display in public when they attended the 2026 Academy Awards together, where DiCaprio was nominated for his work in the eventual best picture winner, One Battle After Another.
But after that departure, things were back to normal as Ceretti walked the red carpet alone while DiCaprio was absent.
Gigi Hadid was on her own on the red carpet, but she at least had support the rest of the evening from her boyfriend, Bradley Cooper.
The actor and filmmaker left Hadid to represent herself on the Met’s steps, but he rejoined her later in the evening for the gala.
Despite the raft of A-list women who were left to attend the Met Gala alone, there were still some notable couples in force at the event, including Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster.
Vittoria Ceretti is likely used to walking red carpets without her A-list boyfriend, Leonardo DiCaprio
But after the two had some rare time together in public at the Oscars, his sudden disappearance was a stark contrasted; pictured in March in Hollywood at the Oscars
Gigi Hadid was on her own on the red carpet, but she at least had support the rest of the evening from her boyfriend, Bradley Cooper
The actor and filmmaker left Hadid to represent herself on the Met’s steps, but he rejoined her later in the evening for the gala (pictured)
Despite the raft of A-list women who were left to attend the Met Gala alone, there were still some notable couples in force at the event, including Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. The lovebirds sweetly held hands while showing off elegant, refined looks
A$AP Rocky also continued his longstanding tradition of public supporting his partner Rihanna, with whom he shares three young children
Leading the charge is a powerhouse trio of co-chairs, with Beyonce, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams joining forces to oversee fashion’s biggest night; Beyonce seen at the 2016 Met Gala
The theme of this year’s event, widely considered the ‘Super Bowl of celebrity red carpets’, is Costume Art; Kidman seen at the 2025 Met Gala
The lovebirds sweetly held hands while showing off elegant, refined looks.
A$AP Rocky also continued his longstanding tradition of public supporting his partner Rihanna, with whom he shares three young children.
Leading the charge is a powerhouse trio of co-chairs, with Beyonce, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams joining forces with Vogue’s global editorial director Anna Wintour to oversee fashion’s biggest night.
It’s the first time tennis superstar Williams has co-chaired the gala. Kidman previously co-chaired the star-studded event in 2003 as well as 2005, and Beyonce was an honorary chair in 2013.
The New York City museum will pair historical and contemporary garments from the Costume Institute for the exhibition, which will be loosely divided into three categories, including the classical and the nude body, aging and pregnant bodies, and the anatomical body.
The exhibit – set to unveil the Met’s sprawling new Conde M. Nast Galleries – has been made possible by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez, who are the lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs.
‘The title “Costume Art” refers to the history of the costume institute,’ Andrew Bolton, the Costume Institute’s curator, said at a press conference.
Bolton, who selects the theme, said fashion has ‘the status of art because of, and not in spite of, its relation to the body.’
French luxury fashion house Yves Saint Laurent is also sponsoring the exhibit.
The 2026 Met Gala will also have a host committee that includes committee co-chairs Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz, along with members Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Angela Bassett, Gwendoline Christie, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor and more.
Costume Art will run from May 10, 2026 through January 10, 2027, following the Met Gala on May 4.
The Met Gala is a huge money-maker for the museum, and provides the Costume Institute with its main source of funding.
The 2026 Met Gala marks a major moment because it’s the first one since Wintour technically stepped back from one of her famed roles at Vogue.
The glittering gala’s lead sponsors and honorary co-chairs are Amazon founder and tech billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos; The pair seen at the 2024 Met Gala
Anna Wintour has reigned supreme as the chairwoman of the Costume Institute benefit for over 30 years; Wintour seen at the 2025 Met Gala
In June 2025, Wintour announced she was stepping down as the editor-in-chief of American Vogue after 37 years.
The global director for Vogue and global chief content officer at Conde Nast hired Chloe Malle as the new head of editorial content at Vogue.
Wintour has famously been incredibly hands-on with the Met Gala over the years, and is credited with making it the splashy A-list affair it has become, beloved by celebrities like Rihanna, the Kardashians, Blake Lively, Zendaya and more.
Last year, many stars did not attend the Met Gala, and some people thought it was to avoid making a faux pas because of the theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which was centered around the political and aesthetic constructs of Black dandyism.
