The Met Gala brings together some of the biggest names in entertainment every year, but 2026 was no exception when it came to notable absences. While the red carpet was littered with bold and stunning looks, including Blake Lively, who appeared just hours after ending her legal battle with ‘It Ends with Us’ co-star Justin Baldoni, several familiar faces were nowhere to be seen. Here’s a look at the big names who sat this one out.
Meryl Streep
While fans were hoping to catch Miranda Priestly herself on the red carpet for the recently released ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, Meryl Streep didn’t attend. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Academy Award winner skipped the event because she was involved as a protégé of billionaire Jeff Bezos. He has not participated in recent years either.
Timothée Chalamet
Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet’s long-awaited Met Gala debut as a couple never materialized; Jenner arrived solo in a bare corset with fake nipples and a voluminous skirt. Chalamet has attended the event several times, in 2021 he wore a white tuxedo with black pants, white sweatpants and Converse sneakers.
Zendaya
Met Gala darling Zendaya, known for leaving a lasting impression in every look she dons, skipped this year’s event following back-to-back press tours for ‘The Drama’ and ‘Euphoria’. Her stylist and designer Law Roach went solo, telling Elle on May 1, “It’s one of the first times in my career that going to the Met is all about me.” Zendaya made her Met Gala debut in 2015 and has been a red carpet highlight ever since.
Sydney Sweeney
Sydney Sweeney broke her four-year attendance streak by skipping this year’s red carpet. The ‘Euphoria’ actress made her Met Gala debut in 2022 in a custom Tory Burch mini dress, and most recently attended the 2025 event in a dazzling black beaded gown with a keyhole cutout.
Ryan Reynolds
Although his wife Blake Lively made a stunning appearance on the carpet, Ryan Reynolds was not by his side. The ‘Deadpool’ star first attended the event with Lively in 2014 to make their first red carpet debut as a couple. He was last seen at the gala in 2022, wearing a velvet tuxedo and white bow tie.
Miley Cyrus
Fresh from the ‘Hannah Montana’ 20th anniversary special, Miley Cyrus missed the gala again this year after attending 2025, wearing a custom Alaïa leather cape with a gold statement necklace and a long braid. The ‘Walk of Fame’ singer went for the first time in 2013 at the age of 20 and has returned several times over the years.
Dua Lipa and Callum Turner
After making their Met Gala debut as a couple in 2025, Dua Lipa and Callum Turner pulled out all the stops this year. The pair were recently spotted in Copenhagen, with Lipa posting an Instagram carousel from Denmark on May 3. For their debut in 2025, Lipa wore an open-back chiffon dress with a sequined tweed jacket, while Turner wore a black suit with an ivory button down.
Lizzo
A year after donning a platinum blonde look at the 2025 gala, Lizzo decided to sit this one out. The ‘Truth Hurts’ singer made her Met Gala debut in 2019 in a custom Marc Jacobs look and returned in 2022 and 2023 before appearing in a daring two-tone gown in 2025.
Lana Del Rey
After appearances at the gala in 2024 and 2025, Lana Del Rey was absent from this year’s red carpet. The ‘Summertime Sadness’ singer wore a theatrical Valentino Couture gown in 2025 and a tree-inspired corset dress the year before.
