• Ben Stiller skipped Knicks vs. 76ers Game 1 for the Met Gala after committing to a friend’s table three months earlier
• He secretly watched the game on his phone inside the event, despite Anna Wintour’s no-phones rule
• Stiller and wife Christine Taylor coordinated their outfits in Knicks orange and blue
• Timothée Chalamet skipped the Met Gala to attend the game, drawing comparisons from fans online
• Stiller returned to MSG for Game 2, received a hero’s welcome, and has been at games in Philly since

Ben Stiller had a confession to make. The night before the 2026 Met Gala, with the Knicks about to tip off their second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden, he turned to his wife Christine Taylor and said: “I think I’m gonna get some sh** for this.”

He was right.

The Zoolander star’s decision to attend fashion’s biggest night instead of Game 1 of the Knicks-76ers series set off a minor firestorm online. “Ben Stiller chose Met Gala over the Knicks vs Sixers?? hell must’ve froze over,” one fan posted on X. “Yeah you gotta drop him on the Knicks fan power rankings. Met Gala over playoffs?? Fake fan,” another piled on. And then there was the matter of Timothée Chalamet — a fellow Knicks superfan who made the opposite call, skipping the Met Gala entirely to sit courtside while his girlfriend Kylie Jenner attended the event solo. The internet noticed.

Stiller finally broke his silence on The Pat McAfee Show Thursday, walking through exactly how he ended up in this mess — and it turns out the answer is pretty simple: he didn’t want to be a bad friend.

“It was a tough one for me,” Stiller told McAfee. “As a fan, I wanted to be at that Knicks game more than anything.” A close friend had secured a table at the Met Gala and invited him and Taylor back in January — three months before the playoff schedule was even set. “You don’t know what the playoff dates are gonna be as they come up,” he explained. “And about a week before, I started to see this… and honestly, it’s a very good friend who got the table, who I felt, as a friend, it would be lame to cancel on.”

Taylor confirmed as much when she spoke to Page Six at a Cinema Society screening of Influenced earlier this week. “We were invited by a friend, so this was an obligation we had committed to in January,” she said. “He was holding true to showing up for friends. It really was for these dear friends who invited us.”

The night before, Stiller was still on the fence. He told Christine he was thinking about canceling at the last minute. Her response was decisive: “Look, we have to do it. It’s our friend. We made this commitment. There’s nothing to do.” And that was that.

Knicks Colors on the Red Carpet — and a Phone Hidden Inside

If Stiller had to be at the Met Gala, he was going to make sure everyone knew where his heart was. He wore an orange tie to match the Knicks’ signature color, while Taylor showed up in a royal blue gown by designer Bibhu Mohapatra. Walking into the event, he flashed six fingers for “Knicks in six” — and on the red carpet, he told USA Today exactly what was on his mind. “Right now, I wish I was in Madison Square Garden,” he admitted. “But if you can’t be at Madison Square Garden watching the Knicks… this is a great second choice.”

He also found a way to follow the game — even if it meant bending the rules a little. “Anna Wintour doesn’t like it when people are watching their phones at the Met Gala,” Stiller said on McAfee’s show. “She wants everybody’s attention to be there, which I understand. I was watching the game, checking on it. But it was really, really tough.”

Taylor said the score actually helped them relax once they got the update. “Here’s what was great — he could wear his Knicks orange, I happened to be wearing blue, and once we learned what the score was, we could relax and enjoy the night.” The Knicks had demolished the 76ers 137-98, making the fashion crowd a slightly easier place to be.

There were genuine highlights too. During the cocktail hour, the couple ended up in a ten-minute conversation with Stevie Nicks — in her top hat — who, as it turned out, had just watched There’s Something About Mary. “She really wanted to talk to him about that,” Taylor laughed, “how hilarious she thought it was. He was really honored.”

The Chalamet Factor

The comparison to Timothée Chalamet became unavoidable — and Stiller addressed it directly. He’d actually hoped they’d both end up at the Met Gala. “The irony was, I said to Christine, ‘I hope Timothée is also going to the Met Gala,'” he recalled. “And of course he wasn’t.”

But Stiller was quick to explain why the choice was genuinely easier for Chalamet than it was for him. “I don’t get invited to the Met Gala,” he said plainly. “Timothée gets invited to the Met Gala every year. The last time I was invited was 10 years ago, by the same friend who bought the table. And then we went with him once before, like 20 years ago. I’m not that guy.”

Chalamet, for his part, traveled to Philadelphia with a crew of celebrity Knicks faithful — including Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, and Ben Stiller himself — for Game 3, with Kylie Jenner again in attendance. Former Knicks legends Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Walt Frazier, and Allan Houston were also in the building in Philly, despite the 76ers’ efforts to limit ticket sales to local residents after Joel Embiid publicly pleaded with fans not to sell to New Yorkers.

Back Where He Belongs

The redemption arc was swift. Stiller returned to MSG for Game 2 on Wednesday in a black Knicks hoodie — a far cry from the orange tie — and was reportedly greeted with cheers when he took his seat. Chalamet and Jenner were a few seats away. Jay-Z showed up and posed for photos with Walt Frazier. Jason Bateman and Sam Rockwell were spotted chatting courtside. The Knicks won 108-102 to go up 2-0 in the series.

On Tuesday, between games, Chalamet had posted a video of himself draining a three-pointer on the MSG court, prompting the official Knicks account to reply in the comments: “check your dms we just sent you a 10-day” — jokingly offering him a contract.

Stiller’s broader point, made with genuine feeling on McAfee’s show, was that this wasn’t some casual fan blowing off a big game. He’s spent the last year deliberately restructuring his professional schedule around the Knicks. “The last season or so, I’ve tried to work my professional work life around the Knicks,” he said. “All the way through to making sure that as this playoff run happens — and this Finals run could possibly happen — that I’m making sure that I’m gonna be there.”

The Knicks, now up 2-0 and two wins away from back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances, are the betting favorites to end a 26-year NBA Finals drought. Stiller has made clear he intends to be courtside for all of it.

“It’s been a really interesting experience,” he said, “because I didn’t think anybody really would care that much about whether or not I was there.”

They cared, Ben. They really cared.

The post Ben Stiller Explains Missing Knicks for Met Gala appeared first on Cream.

• Blake Lively attended the 2026 Met Gala hours after settling her lawsuit against Justin Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios on May 4
• Her attorney Sigrid McCawley says the appearance was about “standing up and not being silenced”
• Both sides are claiming victory — Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman says she settled because she was “scared” to testify
• The legal fight isn’t fully over: Lively is pursuing damages and attorneys’ fees under a California anti-retaliation law
• Reports suggest Taylor Swift has distanced herself from Lively, and Anna Wintour had to intervene to get her into the Met Gala

Blake Lively showed up to the 2026 Met Gala in an archival Atelier Versace gown dripping in custom Lorraine Schwartz diamonds — and she did it the same day she settled one of the messiest celebrity lawsuits in recent memory. Now, her lawyer is explaining exactly why.

Attorney Sigrid McCawley addressed the timing directly in a video interview with Entertainment Tonight on Thursday, May 7, pushing back on the idea that the appearance was a calculated PR move. “Blake is focused on exposing the digital retaliation campaign here that was weaponized against her,” McCawley said. “As part of that, it’s about standing up and not being silenced, right? Moving on with your life, moving forward, and that’s exactly what Blake is intent on doing. She was incredibly brave to stand up for herself in that moment and for others in the workplace and she’s going to continue to pave that path of being really bold and brave in this moment.”

Lively, 38, and Justin Baldoni, 42, announced their settlement on May 4 — two weeks before their case was set to go to trial on May 18. The dispute had been building since December 2024, when Lively sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer Studios, accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of their 2024 film It Ends With Us, as well as orchestrating a smear campaign against her after she raised those concerns. Baldoni denied the allegations and filed a $400 million defamation countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds — a suit that was dismissed entirely by Judge Lewis J. Liman in June 2025. Last month, the judge also dismissed 10 of Lively’s original 13 claims, including every sexual harassment charge, classifying her as an independent contractor rather than an employee during filming.

The joint statement released by both sides struck a measured tone after nearly two years of open warfare. “The end product — the movie It Ends With Us — is a source of pride to all of us who worked to bring it to life,” it read. “We acknowledge the process presented challenges and recognize concerns raised by Ms. Lively deserved to be heard. We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.”

Both Sides Are Claiming the Win

The ink wasn’t even dry before both legal teams were racing to frame the outcome on their own terms.

Lively’s attorneys Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson called it “a resounding victory,” pointing to the fact that Baldoni and the Wayfarer parties waived their right to appeal and acknowledged that Lively’s concerns “deserved to be heard.” “By admitting that Ms. Lively’s concerns ‘deserved to be heard,’ the defendants have ended once and for all the fiction that Ms. Lively ‘fabricated’ claims of sexual harassment and retaliation,” they said in a statement. “From day one, Blake Lively’s mission was clear: expose and hold accountable those who weaponize smear campaigns and retaliatory lawsuits to intimidate and silence survivors. That mission continues.”

Baldoni’s attorney Bryan Freedman wasn’t having it. In a statement, he said the settlement was “a win and total victory” for the Wayfarer parties, noting that the court had already thrown out 10 of Lively’s 13 claims before she “voluntarily dismissed the rest.” “In our view, they settled because they knew they were going to lose in court,” Freedman said.

Then Freedman went further — significantly further. Speaking to TMZ, he claimed the real reason Lively settled was fear. “Part of the reason Blake settled is because she was scared to take the witness stand at trial. She did not want to face cross-examination by anyone because that would require her to tell the truth,” he said. He alleged she lied about instructing Sony to destroy the dailies and lied about telling It Ends With Us author Colleen Hoover to unfollow Baldoni — a claim he said Hoover herself confirmed in her deposition. “Bottom line,” he added, “Blake filed a claim for $300 million and she ended up with nothing. If this is a resounding victory, what does a defeat look like?”

Lively’s team fired back in four words: “I guess he’s no longer ‘ecstatic’ about the settlement” — a pointed reference to comments Freedman had made earlier praising the deal.

In a separate Entertainment Tonight interview, Freedman was asked about Lively’s subsequent move to seek additional damages and didn’t hold back. “I think it’s impossible for Ms. Lively to take responsibility for any part of her actions,” he said. “If one can’t see themselves, one can’t honestly, realistically, look at their part in things, it makes for a troubled existence.”

Baldoni himself confirmed he did not sign a nondisclosure agreement as part of the settlement — a detail that leaves the door open for him to speak publicly. According to insiders, he’s already planning a major sit-down interview and is allegedly working on a book about what happened behind the scenes during the production. He has also relocated from California to Nashville with his wife Emily and their children.

The Legal Battle Has a Round Two

Despite the settlement announcement, this case is not over.

Court documents filed May 7 show Lively is now pursuing damages and attorneys’ fees under California Civil Code Section 47.1 — a 2023 law passed in the wake of the #MeToo movement specifically designed to protect sexual misconduct accusers from retaliatory defamation lawsuits. Because Baldoni’s $400 million countersuit against her was dismissed, Lively’s team argues she qualifies as the “prevailing defendant” and is entitled to compensatory damages tripled, punitive damages, and legal fees.

“What this law does is it focuses on providing survivors with a path to be able to not be silenced, to go back after the person who wrongfully sues them for defamation,” McCawley explained to ET. Her team also addressed the widely reported claim that the two sides collectively spent around $60 million — with some insiders putting the real figure north of $100 million — on the litigation. “Certainly any battle like this is expensive. And that’s why laws like the law that’s been passed in California that she’s proceeding under are so important,” McCawley said. “Most people can’t afford to undertake this kind of significant battle. She knows that that’s a privilege.”

Freedman called the damages request “more nonsense” and indicated Baldoni won’t be writing a check voluntarily. “We’ll see how the judge rules on that,” he said. Both parties have waived the right to appeal that specific ruling once it’s issued, meaning whatever the judge decides is final.

Sexual harassment attorney Megan Thomas, who was not involved in the case, offered some outside perspective on what the settlement actually means. “After a settlement involving celebrities, the public often thinks one party received a large sum of money or a party settled because they had a weak case. This is often not the reality,” she told OK Magazine. “In a case like this, we have two monied parties, so reputation takes precedence over a monetary settlement.” Thomas noted the carefully worded joint statement — particularly the acknowledgment that Lively’s concerns “deserved to be heard” — likely reflects a negotiated reputational outcome for the actress.

The Met Gala Return — and the Messy Road to Get There

Lively’s appearance at the Met Gala was striking on its own. She last attended in 2022, when she co-chaired alongside Ryan Reynolds, Regina King, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. This year she came solo, seated at Anna Wintour’s table inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, wearing the spring 2006 Versace archival gown she’d reportedly had ready ahead of time.

But getting through the door wasn’t as seamless as it looked. According to reporting from Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack, several prominent fashion houses declined to dress her for the event, with insiders citing concerns about brand association. “This wasn’t about designers being afraid of looking mean,” one source said. “It was about not wanting to look like they were backing a mean girl.” Another added, “Blake’s brand has absolutely collapsed in certain fashion circles. A few years ago, having Blake wear your gown was considered a huge win. Now some designers think it hurts more than it helps.”

Wintour reportedly stepped in personally, reassuring designers that Lively remained in good standing within the fashion world and urging them not to distance themselves from her. “Once Anna publicly backed Blake, the resistance softened immediately,” a source said. “Without her, Blake probably doesn’t get through the door in the same way.”

Once she was there, her interaction with the team managing her 13-foot train went viral — and not entirely in her favor. A clip showed Lively directing handlers on how to arrange the gown on the steps, and viewers were sharply divided. Body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass was blunt in her assessment: “Her appearance at the Met Gala did her more damage as she angrily admonished the gentlemen who were helping her with her gown on the steps. It reinforced that she was indeed the ‘mean girl’ that people perceived her as throughout the lawsuit.” Supporters, meanwhile, called it nothing more than a woman directing her own event styling.

Ryan Reynolds, the Marriage Rumors, and Taylor Swift

The day after the settlement was announced, Reynolds posted a selfie with Lively on his Instagram Story — the two leaning into each other, Lively’s hand in his hair, both smiling. He set it to Millie Jackson’s “Here You Come Again.” It was quiet, but it landed.

The post came amid swirling reports that strain in their marriage had played a role in Lively’s decision to settle. An insider told Rob Shuter’s Substack: “The realization hit her all at once. She had already lost too much — professionally, personally, publicly. The one thing she refused to lose was her marriage.” Reynolds’s team has not commented on those claims.

Then there’s Taylor Swift. The friendship between Lively and the pop star became strained after Swift was name-dropped repeatedly in court documents — including text messages in which Lively referenced having “a few dragons” who would defend her, widely understood as a nod to Swift and Reynolds. Unsealed texts also showed Swift agreeing to hype changes Lively made to the It Ends With Us script “even without reading it” and calling Baldoni a “b-tch.” Swift’s representatives maintained she had no involvement with the film beyond licensing one of her songs.

According to sources close to the situation, Lively is optimistic the friendship can be repaired now that the legal chaos has settled. “Blake genuinely believes there’s still a path back,” one insider told Shuter’s Substack. “Now that the legal mess is over, she thinks the hardest part is behind her, and there’s real hope they can move forward.” She’s reportedly so confident that she already has a dress picked out for Swift’s anticipated wedding to Travis Kelce.

Sources close to Swift, however, suggest the singer isn’t there yet — and may not be inviting the Livelys at all. “They’re not invited. Period,” one source told Shuter. “Taylor wants a drama-free day and no longer trusts Blake or Ryan.” Swift has stayed publicly silent on all of it.

Baldoni’s friend and It Ends With Us co-star Adam Mondschein, speaking to Us Weekly, captured the mood on his side of the aisle: “It’s the bittersweetness of having this part of it let go. It’s a conflicted time. It feels like that, but the game’s not over.”

He’s probably right about that.

The post Blake Lively’s Lawyer Defends Her Met Gala Return After Baldoni Settlement appeared first on Cream.

• Viral videos from the 2026 Met Gala appeared to show Rihanna and A$AP Rocky in a tense exchange inside a Sprinter van after the event.
• Sources close to the couple say there was no fight — the two had been going nonstop for nearly 16 hours and were completely exhausted.
• The woman seen chatting with Rocky on the carpet was identified as Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert, a fashion editor who has known Rihanna for years.
• Rihanna posted a 45-second highlight reel to X showing the couple smiling, holding hands, and having a great time at the gala.
• Singer Tyla also weighed in, clarifying there was no snub — Rihanna simply told her “my baby daddy’s calling me” and stepped away.

By the time Rihanna and A$AP Rocky climbed into their Sprinter van and left the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night, they had been on their feet for nearly 16 hours. They’d done the glam, the carpet, the interviews, the event itself — and somewhere in between all of that, a camera caught them having what looked like a very serious conversation in the back of that van. Cue the internet.

The footage, first reported by TMZ, spread fast. In the clip, neither of them looks particularly happy. Rihanna appears tense, Rocky looks distant, and onlookers can be heard off-camera murmuring, “They do not look happy.” Within hours, fan accounts were scouring every second of footage from the night, lip readers were being commissioned, and the phrase “trouble in paradise” was doing heavy rotation on social media.

But sources close to the couple tell TMZ it was none of that. “It was a long day and they were running on empty,” one source said flatly. The two are parents to three young children — RZA, Riot, and baby Rocki Irish Mayers — and after 16 hours of nonstop socializing, appearances, and red carpet performance, they were simply done. As another source put it, “they’re happy, and people are simply overanalyzing a tired moment.”

Rihanna clearly got the memo on what the internet was saying. On Thursday, she posted a 45-second montage to X showing the two of them smiling wide, holding hands, and partying through the night at the gala. It was a pretty direct rebuttal — no caption needed.

The Woman in the Video, Identified

Before the Sprinter van footage even went viral, a separate clip had already lit up social media. In it, Rihanna is giving an interview to cameras while A$AP Rocky can be seen a few feet behind her, deep in conversation with a woman. At one point, the woman places a hand on his shoulder. Rihanna glances over. The clip cuts off.

X user YSLONIKA posted it with the caption “oh so this is why they were arguing,” and that framing did a lot of work. The video racked up over 1.4 million views, and the speculation machine kicked into full gear.

oh so this is why they were arguing- pic.twitter.com/sb3R7DDUrZ

— welp. (@YSLONIKA) May 6, 2026

Sources familiar with the situation identified the woman to TMZ as Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert — a 46-year-old Italian fashion editor, stylist, and the Global Creative Director of Swarovski. She’s been married to Swedish entrepreneur Oscar Engelbert since 2016. More importantly for this particular news cycle: she has known Rihanna for years.

According to those sources, the viral clip doesn’t even show the beginning of the interaction. Giovanna had actually been speaking with Rihanna first — the two were laughing together — before she continued the conversation with Rocky nearby. What was Rocky and Giovanna’s deeply suspicious exchange about? His necklace. She was joking around about his necklace.

Sources were equally clear that there was “zero romantic energy” between Rocky and Engelbert. The man who filmed the original clip also stepped in to clarify on Instagram: “She was not unhappy and everyone in that circle know each other, so please stop. The couple is very much in love.”

The Lip Reader, the Body Language Expert, and the Limits of Both

None of that stopped the deeper dive. A lip-reading expert named Nicola Hickling — founder of the company LipReader — analyzed the Sprinter van footage for Casino.org, and her breakdown was the kind of content the internet was waiting for.

According to Hickling’s read, Rihanna opens with, “You don’t care for me, do you?” Rocky responds: “Are you for real? You’re crazy. Can’t you see, crap crap. Get out, I can’t be around you.” After Rihanna laughs, Rocky allegedly says, “I’m done here.” Rihanna fires back: “You’re done? I’m done. I’m tired. Now you’re done, you can drop me.” Rocky’s final word: “You trying something? Hey. Try.”

Body language expert Inbaal Honigman, also speaking to Casino.org, added her own reading: “Rihanna is the one asking the questions, her eyes fixed on Rocky with determined focus… This direct eye contact is fearless, suggesting she is challenging him to answer. She shakes her head from side to side, clearly unhappy with his response.” Of Rocky, Honigman observed: “His eyebrows are raised into a triangular shape, communicating distress. This appears to be an argument he does not want to have.”

It’s compelling stuff. It’s also, worth remembering, analysis of footage shot through the glass of a moving vehicle at night — of two people who had been awake and “on” for the better part of a day.

Tyla Sets the Record Straight Too

The couple wasn’t the only target of the night’s speculation. Fans also decided that Rihanna had snubbed Tyla, after the South African singer was spotted nearby during the carpet interaction. Tyla shut that down quickly in a TikTok posted on May 6.

@hernametyla

♬ original sound – soundeffectpack

“Everyone knows I love Rih, oh my gosh,” Tyla said. “I met her last night, and she was cool. I went up to her. I was like, ‘Oh, hey,’ and she was like, ‘My baby daddy’s calling me.’ And then she left, and I was like, ‘Oh, maybe she was busy.’ So I don’t know. I felt awkward… I don’t know how to say hi if I feel like someone’s busy.”

Tyla also offered some useful context about the Met Gala experience itself, writing in her Instagram story: “The ghetto part of the Met is when we all gotta stand glammed up in our costumes while people watch us wait longggg for all the cars to come around and fetch us one by one.” So: exhausted, overdressed, waiting in a long valet line, surrounded by cameras. Sounds like a great environment for looking thrilled.

A witness at the gala told TMZ the couple appeared to be “having a great time” throughout the evening and “did not appear to have any issues.” Rocky was even spotted smiling and kissing Giovanna Engelbert on both cheeks — a standard European greeting — before turning back to Rihanna with a smile. That part didn’t make the viral clip.

Rihanna’s montage video says everything the sources have been saying all week — the two were fine, they had a good night, and the most dramatic thing that happened was that two very famous, very busy parents of three hit a wall at the end of a 16-hour day. As one source told TMZ: “The conversation wasn’t some big blowout… just two people coming off an incredibly long night and feeling it.”

The post Rihanna & A$AP Rocky’s Met Gala Drama, Explained appeared first on Cream.

• The 2026 Met Gala raised a record $42 million under the theme “Fashion Is Art”
• Beyoncé brought Blue Ivy Carter to her very first Met Gala, one of the night’s most talked-about moments
• Rihanna and A$AP Rocky made a statement on the carpet, as did the Kardashian-Jenner family in full force
• Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez served as honorary chairs, drawing significant criticism
• Taraji P. Henson publicly called out attendees ahead of the event, asking “WTF ARE WE DOING”

The first Monday in May delivered exactly what it always promises — spectacle, fashion, and more than a little drama. The 2026 Met Gala went off at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a record-breaking $42 million raised and a theme, “Fashion Is Art,” that practically dared its guests to go big. Most of them did.

Guests arrived on a mossy-looking, trompe l’oeil cobblestone carpet framed by a backdrop that felt ripped straight from a Monet canvas — a deliberate, immersive nod to the evening’s artistic brief. It was theatrical, it was intentional, and it set the tone for a night where fashion wasn’t just clothing. It was statement-making.

The Moments Everyone Will Be Talking About

If there was one image from the night destined to live forever, it was Beyoncé walking those steps with Blue Ivy Carter — the teenager’s very first Met Gala. A mother-daughter debut at fashion’s biggest night doesn’t get more cinematic than that.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky showed up and reminded everyone why they’re one of the most compelling couples in pop culture. Their coordinated approach to the carpet — always a study in controlled cool — felt like a masterclass in couples’ style without trying too hard.

Madonna turned the evening into a full girls’ night out, and the Kardashian-Jenner family came through as a unit: Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, and Kris Jenner together on that carpet was its own kind of fashion moment. Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman had a quieter but genuinely charming red-carpet beat alongside her daughter Sunday Rose — a reminder that the Met Gala’s best moments aren’t always the loudest ones.

The Controversy That Followed the Carpet

Not everyone was celebrating. Before the first limo pulled up, the 2026 Met Gala was already caught in a cultural crossfire — and Taraji P. Henson made sure no one could ignore it.

“I am so confused by some ppl that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING!?!?!?!” she wrote in the days leading up to the event. It was blunt, it was unfiltered, and it landed.

The source of the tension: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez stepped in as major backers and honorary chairs this year, a move that drew sharp criticism from those who saw the symbolism of extreme wealth underwriting an arts institution as deeply uncomfortable — particularly given the current economic climate. A viral video from writer and commentator Meredith Lynch helped amplify the conversation, with Lynch raising questions about the museum’s decision to accept Bezos-tied funding and flagging the political implications of certain protest symbols being worn on the carpet. The post drew engagement from figures including Liza Colón-Zayas and Bella Hadid.

Behind the scenes, the guest list reportedly became something of a quiet battleground, with some high-profile names quietly opting out while others showed up as planned. For many, attendance was never purely about endorsement — it’s about tradition, visibility, and the kind of cultural influence the Met Gala still commands like almost nothing else.

For Henson, the pushback wasn’t surprising. The Oscar-nominated actress has consistently used her platform to challenge institutions and refuse to separate culture from consequence — whether she’s talking about pay inequity in Hollywood or mental health in Black communities. Her Met Gala callout fits that pattern exactly.

The Met Gala delivered its spectacle. The looks were there, the moments were there, the viral images were there. But in 2026, every entrance carried a little more weight than usual — and Taraji P. Henson made sure of it.

The post 2026 Met Gala: Best Moments and the Backlash appeared first on Cream.

• All four BLACKPINK members — Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé — attended the 2026 Met Gala, a first for the group
• Jisoo made her long-awaited Met Gala debut in a custom Dior gown by Jonathan Anderson with vintage Cartier jewelry
• Lisa served as a 2026 Met Gala host committee member and wore a sculptural custom Robert Wun look with 3D-printed arms modeled after her own
• All four members changed into second looks for the after-parties, hitting GQ’s event at Café Zaffri and a Saint Laurent celebration at People’s
• The group appeared together in a viral star-studded selfie that racked up over 2 million likes

It finally happened. All four members of BLACKPINK — Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé — walked the Met Gala red carpet on May 4, marking the first time in the group’s decade-long history that every member has attended fashion’s biggest night in the same year. For the Blinks who have been waiting for this moment, it was everything.

Each woman arrived separately, bringing her own distinct fashion energy to the “Costume Art” theme — but by the end of the night, they were together, captured in a star-studded group selfie that the internet absolutely lost its mind over.

Four Looks, One Night to Remember

Lisa, 29, who served on the 2026 Met Gala host committee, delivered arguably the most avant-garde moment of the entire evening. Her custom Robert Wun gown featured 3D-printed arms winding around a sheer veil — and in a detail that makes the whole thing even more personal, those arms were modeled directly off her own. “I’m just so happy to showcase myself in an art form like this,” she told Vogue on the carpet. She also couldn’t help but tease her upcoming Las Vegas residency. “It sold out!” she beamed.

Rosé, also 29, leaned into her role as Saint Laurent ambassador with a custom black gown designed by creative director Anthony Vaccarello. But the look had deeper meaning than brand loyalty. Working with celebrity stylist Law Roach, Rosé did her homework on YSL history and discovered that Yves Saint Laurent had drawn inspiration from birds — specifically Georges Braque’s painting The Birds, which hangs on the ceiling of the Louvre in Paris. That bird ended up painted on her dress. She finished the look with platinum diamond pieces from Tiffany & Co.

Jennie, 30, was the last member to hit the carpet, arriving in a shimmering blue Chanel dress by artistic director Matthieu Blazy — covered, she told Vogue, in 15,000 metallic sequin leaves. “I feel like a mosaic artwork come alive,” she said, adding that even her makeup was part of the glow. She also made sure to shout out her bandmates waiting inside.

And then there was Jisoo, 31 — making her Met Gala debut after years of fans wondering when it would finally happen. She arrived in a custom Dior gown by Jonathan Anderson: a strapless, backless column dress draped in gazar and entirely embroidered with a garden scene, trimmed with floral bouquets and topped with a fabric flower headpiece. A one-of-a-kind Cartier Grain de Café necklace completed the look. Dior has a long history of referencing Impressionism — Anderson pulled from Monet just last season — making Jisoo’s look a natural fit for the “Costume Art” theme. She told Vogue co-hosts Ashley Graham and Cara Delevingne that the outfit took four to five hours to put together. “It’s my first Met Gala. I’m so excited and a little nervous too,” she said with a laugh.

The Moment Fans Had Been Waiting For

While each member walked the steps solo, the reunion came later in the evening when all four were spotted together inside the museum. The group appeared in a group selfie taken by model Bhavita Mandava, alongside Gracie Abrams, Margot Robbie, Ayo Edebiri, Audrey Nuna, Awar Odhiang, and Rachel Sennott. “Felt cute, might delete later #metgala,” Bhavita captioned the post — which had already crossed 2 million likes by the time most people were still scrolling through red carpet recaps.

The After-Parties Were a Whole Second Show

Because one look is never enough on Met Gala night, all four members changed into second ensembles for the after-party circuit — and didn’t disappoint.

Jennie swapped her sequined carpet gown for a cropped Chanel lace camisole with delicate sequin details and a matching satin midi skirt, finishing the look with black knee-high leather boots and sunglasses for GQ’s party at The Twenty Two New York’s Café Zaffri.

Lisa was spotted leaving the Mark Hotel in a cream suit jacket and low-rise flared pants, with a cream satin bralette peeking through, Stuart Weitzman satin platform heels, a sparkling trunk bag, and diamond jewelry. She headed to a party at The Box.

Rosé changed into a ruched black Saint Laurent minidress with a detachable floor-length train, black sheer tights, and pointed sling-back heels — then made the rounds at both GQ’s party and Saint Laurent’s own celebration at People’s.

Jisoo stepped into a second Dior look for the evening: a strapless empire waist dress with semi-sheer layers and a Y2K bubble hem, accessorized with a pop-of-color green handbag.

The reunion comes at a significant moment for all four women. BLACKPINK released their latest album, Deadline, and wrapped a world tour that included two sold-out nights at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Solo-wise, Jisoo released her album Amortage in early 2025 and stars in the series Newtopia. Lisa made her acting debut on HBO’s The White Lotus and performed a solo Coachella set behind her album Alter Ego. Jennie also headlined Coachella in support of Ruby. And Rosé scored three Grammy nominations — including a historic general field nod, making her the first K-pop artist to receive one — for “Apt,” the song she opened this year’s Grammy ceremony with.

They’ve each been building empires on their own. But Monday night was a reminder that when all four are in the same room, there’s nothing quite like it.

The post BLACKPINK Reunites at the 2026 Met Gala appeared first on Cream.

• Blue Ivy Carter, 14, and Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, 17, both attended the 2026 Met Gala despite its 18+ age restriction
• Their moms — Beyoncé and Nicole Kidman — were both co-chairs of the event, which appears to have cleared the way for their daughters
• Beyoncé gushed on the carpet that Blue Ivy was “ready,” while Kidman kissed her daughter’s hand on the museum steps
• The 18-and-over rule has been in place since 2018, when Maddie Ziegler was turned away at age 15
• Sunday wore Dior and Blue Ivy wore Balenciaga for their respective Met Gala debuts

The Met Gala has had a strict 18-and-over policy since 2018. But on Monday night, two of the most famous teenagers in the world walked right past that rule — and nobody was mad about it.

Blue Ivy Carter, 14, made her official Met Gala debut at the 2026 event, stepping onto the Metropolitan Museum of Art steps alongside her parents Beyoncé and Jay-Z. And across the carpet, Nicole Kidman arrived with her 17-year-old daughter Sunday Rose Kidman Urban for her first Met appearance as well. Two teens, one very exclusive party, and a very convenient explanation: their mothers were running the show.

Beyoncé co-chaired this year’s gala alongside Kidman, Venus Williams, and the ever-present Anna Wintour. It’s widely understood that when you’re one of the people organizing fashion’s biggest night, your guest list comes with a little more flexibility. The same logic applied to Kidman, who was serving as Met co-chair for the third time. An exception was seemingly made for both girls given their mothers’ roles — and judging by the reaction on the carpet, no one was raising any objections.

Blue Ivy Made Her Entrance — and She Was Ready

Blue Ivy did not ease into this moment. She arrived in a cream strapless Balenciaga gown, gold heels, diamonds, and a cropped bomber jacket draped off her shoulders with the kind of effortless cool that takes most people decades to develop. She’s 14.

Beyoncé, resplendent in a skeletal-inspired gown while Jay-Z kept it sharp in a classic black suit, could barely contain herself on the carpet. “She looks so beautiful,” she told Vogue. “It’s incredible to be able to share it with her.” Then, in case anyone had doubts: “She was ready! She is ready.”

It’s been quite a run for Blue Ivy. Last year she stole the show on the Cowboy Carter world tour, and before that she joined her mom on stage at the Grammys when Beyoncé finally took home Album of the Year. The Met Gala feels like the next logical chapter.

Sunday Rose Bloomed at Her First Met

Sunday Rose had her own story to tell on the steps. The 17-year-old — who only made her modeling debut last year and recently walked the Dior show in Paris — arrived in a pink beaded strapless Dior gown with an airy column skirt covered in floral embellishments. Statement floral earrings, pink eyeshadow, hair worn down and straightened. She looked like spring personified.

On the carpet, she opened up about why the look meant something to her. “Mine is really special to me because I kinda wanted to symbolize something blooming — it’s my first Met,” she told Vogue. “Blooming into something.”

Kidman was glowing beside her, dressed in a showstopping red sequined Chanel gown with feathered sleeves — a look she said she chose because red represents “passion, love, vitality, power, and motherhood.” The two held hands walking up the steps, and at one point Kidman gestured to her daughter, bowed down, and kissed her hand. As moments go, it was a lot.

“I have a springtime, blossoming girl right here!” Kidman gushed. Then, with the dry wit only a mother can deliver: “She has to be in school tomorrow morning. She’ll be in school by 8 a.m.”

Kidman had been looking forward to this for a while. Back in March, she told Las Culturistas, “This is, I think it’s the third time I’ve co-chaired, but to do it now? I’m so, so happy, and my daughter Sunday will be coming. And she loves fashion. She’s actually just walked the Dior show. Yeah, she’s flying back from Paris now.”

Sunday, for her part, has spoken candidly about her mother’s influence on her path. “My mum is someone who has always been so creative and my biggest inspiration in life,” she told Elle Australia after her modeling debut. “She’s a key part of everything I do.” The most practical piece of advice Kidman passed along? Always be on time. “It shows that you’re prepared and grateful to be there,” Sunday said.

The Rule That Usually Keeps Teens Out

The 18-and-over policy at the Met Gala isn’t new — it’s been in place since 2018, and it has real teeth. When the restriction first kicked in, then-15-year-old Dance Moms alum Maddie Ziegler told The Hollywood Reporter plainly: “I can’t go, because I’m not old enough.” An event organizer confirmed at the time, “It’s not an appropriate event for people under 18.”

Before the rule went into effect, some of the youngest guests in Met history included Jaden and Willow Smith, who attended in 2016 at 17 and 15 respectively, and Hailee Steinfeld, who first climbed those steps in 2011 at just 15 years old.

The co-chair connection clearly carries weight. When your mother is literally one of the people running the evening — alongside Anna Wintour, no less — the velvet rope moves a little.

And honestly? Both girls more than held their own. Blue Ivy in Balenciaga. Sunday Rose in Dior. Fashion is art, the theme declared. These two took that seriously.

The post How Blue Ivy and Sunday Rose Got Into the Met Gala appeared first on Cream.