Three A-Listers Will Be Missing From 2026 Met Gala — Here's Why

One star walked out before the night was even over. Another called it the most overrated night of the year, twice, then showed up again anyway. And there's only one person Anna Wintour has ever publicly confirmed is banned for life.

The Met Gala draws out the biggest names in entertainment every spring, but every year, a few notable faces are conspicuously absent. Some stay away by choice. Others don't get a choice at all.

Amy Schumer: She Made a Promise on the Red Carpet

Amy Schumer went to the Met Gala years ago, and she was not impressed. In a 2016 interview with Howard Stern, Schumer described the event as pure performance from start to finish.

"It's people like doing an impression of having a conversation," she told Stern, adding that being surrounded by celebrities pretending to connect was, in her words, her "worst nightmare."

She didn't wait for the night to end. Schumer left earlier than she likely should have, by her own admission, though not before running into Beyoncé. When Beyoncé asked if it was her first Met Gala, Schumer answered, "It's my last."

But just like many celebrities who swear off the event and quietly return a few years later, Schumer has been seen at the gala since that interview, like in 2022.

Still, her original issue wasn't with the fashion or the logistics. It was with the phoniness of it all. She made clear she has no interest in building a celebrity social circle and sees the event as a concentrated version of everything she finds exhausting about fame.

Even her mention of Taylor Swift in the same interview carried a note of detachment: she has no desire to become part of that world, and the Met Gala represents exactly that world.

Gwyneth Paltrow: Her Night Was Nothing As She Expected

Gwyneth Paltrow has a more complicated relationship with the Met Gala, and her honesty about it is, at minimum, entertaining.

In 2013, she told the hosts of Australia's "Kyle and Jackie O Show" exactly what she thought of the event after attending that year: "It sucked." The promised glamour evaporated the moment she arrived and found herself overheated, shoulder-to-shoulder in a crowd, being pushed in every direction.

She also took issue with the evening's punk theme, remarking that she felt they were all a bit old to be dressing that way. She opted for a hot pink Valentino gown and leaned into looking "kind of normal" rather than committing to the concept. Her former close friend Madonna, meanwhile, fully embodied the punk aesthetic in fishnet, studs, and pink pumps.

Paltrow even had notes on the entertainment. Kanye West performed that year, and she described the set as dramatic and intense, adding that he threw his microphone down at some point. "I don't know why," she said.

The one highlight of her evening came when she and then-husband Chris Martin tracked down Korean rapper Psy on the red carpet because their son was obsessed with him. Martin introduced himself as being from Coldplay. Psy, according to Paltrow, didn't immediately register the name, though he eventually put it together and was happy to take a photo.

Despite vowing never to return, Paltrow went back in 2017 and again in 2019. Whether she made peace with the event or simply couldn't resist, she has been quiet on the subject since.

Donald Trump: The Answer That Shocked a Late-Night Audience

This one is different from the other two, because it didn't come from the celebrity. It came from Anna Wintour herself.

During a 2017 episode of "The Late Late Show with James Corden," in a segment called "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts," Corden asked Wintour which celebrity she would never invite back to the Met Gala. "Donald Trump," she replied at once.

Trump had been a regular presence at the event throughout the 2000s, frequently photographed on the red carpet with his wife, Melania Trump. His last appearance came in 2012, years before his presidential run.

Wintour's interview with Corden drew renewed attention back in 2025, with netizens offering differing opinions. One user suggested, "They have standards." Another fan remarked, "Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris got invited...he's probably SEETHING...GOOD!"

Some people pointed out the irony, "Funny how shes (Kamala Harris) there while donald trump is still banned in met gala🤣 [sic]."

Another commenter couldn't help but find the situation amusing, penning, "Vice President Kamala Harris showing up at the Met Gala is even funnier when you realize that Donald Trump is literally banned from ever attending by Anna Wintour."

More people shared their thoughts, "I’m actually very glad to know where Anna Wintour stands on the political spectrum." Meanwhile, a curious fan wondered, "Why would he go?🙄." However, some fans reminisced, "He loved going. He proposed to Melania at the Met Gala. They were regulars."

There was also some criticism of Wintour's influence, "How relevant is Anna Wintour now a days - Vogue magazines hardly get sold and the digital presence is for those under 30 it’s all advertising. They cater to celebrities and where are the iconic models. Trump getting banned oh well it's like a circus anyway [sic]."

The ban Wintour confirmed remains the only one she has ever stated publicly. Still, the Met Gala does have two automatic grounds for removal from future guest lists: smoking in the galleries or touching the artwork.

But beyond those rules, the decision-making stays private. Wintour and Met curator Andrew Bolton have confirmed those two deal-breakers, while everything else remains at the discretion of the organizers.

Trump's case is the exception, because Wintour chose to name him directly and on camera. Whatever negotiating room exists for others on the unofficial list doesn't appear to extend to him.

Regardless, the event will always be cherished by the couple. As one of the netizens above shared, Trump proposed to his girlfriend, now-wife, with a dazzling 12-carat diamond ring worth $2 million at the event. The emerald-cut diamond, flanked by tapered baguettes and set in platinum, left the now-first lady speechless, and she accepted his proposal.

Trump picked out the engagement ring without the now-first lady, confident in his choice, saying they shared similar tastes. Fortunately, he was right as she loved the ring.

"It was a great surprise. We are very happy together," she said to the Post at the time. Earlier, during an appearance on "Live with Regis and Kelly," Trump shared, "We've had a great relationship. We’ve been together for five years, and it was really time."

The engagement marked a fairy-tale moment for the now-first lady, who had a strict upbringing in Eastern Europe with her Austrian father and Slovenian mother, both of whom emphasized education. However, after learning five languages, she pursued a career in modeling.

She spent her savings to move to New York City, and while she appeared in ads for various brands, the early years were difficult, with minimal pay. At a turning point in her career, in September 1998, Trump entered her life.

A friend recalled, "She ran into Donald just at the right time. She was just about out of money, at the end of her rope and about to move back to Eastern Europe."

The now-presidential couple was attending a Fashion Week party in New York when fate stepped in. Trump was meant to be introduced to a supermodel seated next to his future wife, but the moment he laid eyes on the Slovenian beauty, his focus shifted entirely.

The model was initially hesitant to give Trump her phone number when they met, but he insisted, offering her not just his office number, but also his private contacts, including his penthouse and jet.

She reflected on the encounter, “If he gave me just his office number, that would show he’s not very serious. It shows how a man sees a woman, and how he treats a woman."

After a fashion shoot in the Caribbean, she called him, and their first date was a night at Moombah, the city's most fashionable club. A month later, Trump flew her to Palm Beach for a weekend getaway aboard his private jet, featuring a king-sized bed.

Their relationship took its time to develop, with the couple choosing to move at their own pace. Around two and a half years after they began dating, Trump invited her to move into his Trump Tower duplex. The model was soon introduced to a luxurious lifestyle.

After tying the knot, Melania Trump shared that they hadn't been in any hurry to marry, explaining that they were simply enjoying each other's company. Meanwhile, Trump once described their relationship as one marked by compatibility, adding that they got along well and rarely argued.

During that time, the couple was also looking forward to starting a family, with Trump expressing confidence that she would be a wonderful mother.

Today, they share a son, Barron Trump. The president also has four other children from his previous marriages: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric Trump with his first wife, Ivana Trump, and Tiffany Trump with his second wife, Marla Ann Maples.