UPDATE: Oh thank god, Rihanna turned up. With A$AP Rocky. Way to leave us hanging, queen, but better late than never.
Rihanna, undisputed queen of the Met Gala, didn’t show up this year. What the fuck. What the fuck.
She was spotted at a hotel round the corner from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but sans hair and makeup. The red carpet has now concluded, and Rihanna didn’t walk it. If there’s a Met Gala red carpet and RiRi didn’t walk it, does it even matter?
According to a since-deleted Instagram story (thankfully saved by The Cut), Rihanna was spotted entering the Carlyle Hotel around 6pm, wearing a black scarf and zip-up hoodie. It’s the hotel where heaps of celebs get ready for the Met Gala – a very time-consuming process – but if she’s only popping in after the Met Gala begins, then even if she is attending, she won’t be ready for ages.
Rihanna. You don’t owe us anything. And yet…
crying shaking screaming throwing up BEGGING for rihanna to arrive and put me out of my misery
— hunter harris (@hunteryharris) September 13, 2021
where are you @rihanna?#MetGala pic.twitter.com/4PX1GeKFdH
— jay (@thejayqp) September 14, 2021
https://twitter.com/danfromsatx/status/1437585048568582145
Rihanna wasn’t the only Met Gala regular to apparently give it a miss this year. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Zendaya and Blake Lively – all of whom have appeared on “best” and “most iconic” fashion round-ups for years – were all no shows.
I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed. And a little mad.
ALL OF THAT FOR NO RIHANNA OR GAGA – cancel next year, we don’t want it #MetGala pic.twitter.com/5ddbhlVjVM
— anya (@feltedhedgehog) September 14, 2021
Rihanna, Blake Lively, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga all missed the Met.
This is my villain origin story. #MetGala pic.twitter.com/fa7pmy9O0n
— mandy | TLM Era🧜♀️ (@BattinsonMarvel) September 14, 2021
As anyone who’s still fruitlessly waiting for R9 knows, Rihanna is queen of not showing up for your expectations. Fans want the album; she gives us Fenty Beauty. Met Gala devotees want the look, she skips the red carpet altogether. (No shade to Fenty Beauty, the foundation is incredible, but RiRi… where is the album?)
There’s still hope she’ll rock up as the Met Gala entertainment, or at some after party, but if you’re still holding out hope for that red carpet moment – it’s time to shut that down.
As for the celebs who did show up, peep all the red carpet looks right here.
