Met Gala curse explained and the history of how many times it's happened
Met Gala season is upon us, but it may be bad news for some celebrities, as the dreaded Met Gala curse looms…
On the first Monday of May, a number of high profile A-List celebrities will once again put on their best gowns to attend the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York, this year adhering to the theme of 'Costume Art'.
Those expected to attend include the likes of Doja Cat, Jeff Bezos, Sabrina Carpenter and Zoë Kravitz, alongside dozens of other famous faces.
It's one of the most highly-anticipated events on the calendar for many attendees, but for those celebrities who are in a fairly new couple, or taking to the carpet for the very first time with their significant other, their outfit may be the least of their worries…
Advert
What is the Met Gala curse?
Of course, there’s no official ‘curse’ surrounding the event, but a lot of fans have noticed that many couples attending the May event together for the first time split up within the next 12 months.
As Met Gala guests have to be personally approved by Vogue chief Anna Wintour, it means plus ones are generally not allowed.
Therefore, the curse is exclusively for high profile celebrity couples - though we’re sure that’s one exclusive list they’d rather not be a part of.
Which couples has the Met Gala curse affected?
Despite looking out for the amazing fashion looks on the red carpet, people are also looking out for any interesting plus ones.
Many celebrities have made their public debut with the partner at the glitzy event, only for things to go downhill shortly after.
Most notably, Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson marked their second red carpet appearance at the 2022 Met, just a week after the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
The moment was so huge, it was even broadcast on the family reality TV show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians. (We’re sure everyone remembers the shower scene).
However, despite looking happier than ever on the red carpet, the two went their separate ways just three months later due to long distance and work schedules.
Let’s just hope Kim K doesn’t bring Lewis Hamilton this year…
But it hasn’t just happened to one or two couples, there’s a whole list! In fact, some unlucky celebs, such as Shawn Mendes and The Weeknd, have fallen victim to the curse twice.
Below are a list of some of the most notable names to be affected by the curse, from most recent, as per Cosmopolitan:
- Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keogan - 2024
- Phoebe Bridges and Paul Mescal - 2022
- Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello - 2021
- Chris Rock and Megalyn Echikunwoke - (attended 2019, split March 2020)
- Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth - 2019
- Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes - 2019
- Shawn Mendes (again) and Hailey Bieber - 2018
- Selena Gomez and The Weeknd - 2017
- Amanda Seyfried and Justin Long - 2015
- Bella Hadid and The Weeknd (again) - 2016
- A$AP Rocky and Chanel Iman - 2014
- Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower - 2013
It doesn’t seem as if the curse affected anyone in 2025, so let's hope it’s been lifted once and for all!
How much does it cost to go to the Met Gala?
As you’d expect, a ticket to the most exclusive fashion event in the calendar doesn’t come cheap.
If you’re lucky enough to be approved for the guest list by former Vogue editor Anna Wintour, individual tickets are priced around $75,000 - up by 50 percent from 2023.
But the silver lining for A-listers is that the tens of thousands required to attend the high-profile shindig won’t be coming out of their own pockets.
Instead, fashion designers and brands will buy a table - which goes for $350,000 - and invite celebs to sit at it wearing their finest threads.
The Met Gala is actually a charity fundraiser for the Costume Institute at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, so the millions raised from ticket sales go towards the museum’s fashion department putting on exhibitions, making acquisitions, and its general running costs.
Topics: Met Gala, Fashion, Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson
Kiesha Dosanjh