MET Gala Meltdown! Hollywood A-listers ‘Bow Out' in Protest of Anna Wintour's Connections to Jailed Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Several A-listers could be on their way to dropping out of this year's annual Met Gala.
March 24 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
This year's Met Gala is shaping up to be a night full of iconic fashion, curated dinner specials, and plenty of empty seats.
Once the ultimate A-list affair, the annual event is now scrambling for top stars – and Anna Wintour's ties to disgraced mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs might be the biggest reason why, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sources say Wintour's 'cozniess' to Combs has left several A-listers with a 'bad taste in their mouths.'
Wintour, Vogue's longtime editor-in-chief, has been the driving force behind the Met Gala since 1995.
The prestigious event typically attracts around 450 guests, bringing together stars, emerging creatives, and icons from fashion, the arts, sports, and politics.
But according to Hollywood insider Rob Shuter, who writes on Substack, Wintour’s link to Combs has some big names rethinking their RSVPs.
Combs' Met Gala invite was reportedly revoked last year as he began getting hit with numerous accusations.
The hesitation comes after the jailed rapper was arrested in September 2024 on charges including racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
A fashion insider revealed: "There’s a serious bad taste in a lot of people's mouths.
"Anna's coziness with Diddy for years has made invites feel radioactive to some of the biggest names in the industry."
Last year, sources speculated Combs, 55, would be removed from the Met Gala guest list as his name became linked to serious accusations and legal troubles.
Combs, currently being detained at a detention center in New York, once wielded immense fashion influence through his Sean John clothing line.
One insider noted: "Now he finds himself grappling not only with the preservation of his reputation, but also with the loss of his standing within an industry that has unequivocally distanced itself from him."
First to bail on the 2025 Met Gala? Staples Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have already declined their invite, a source recently spilled.
They noted: "If they’re not going, you know there's a problem."
The move, of course, also follows the couple’s ongoing (and very public) legal feud with Lively's It Ends With Us co-star, Justin Baldoni.
Met Gala regulars Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have reportedly opted out of this year's event.
Insiders are also saying the once-iconic fashion event has now turned into an influencer spectacle, filled with Kardashians, Jenners, and social media stars.
In turn, it noticeably lacks Oscar winners, music legends, and top designers.
A fashion publicist explained: "The Met used to be Meryl, Rihanna, Beyoncé. Now it’s TikTokers in fast fashion and whichever Jenner’s promoting a tequila brand."
Although the guest list is reportedly shrinking, insiders claim there are still some hard limits – at least for now.
One tipster jabbed: "The standards haven’t dropped low enough to let the Real Housewives in — yet. But ask again next year."
As for Wintour, sources have said the Vogue queen bee is keeping quiet but remains unbothered – even as whispers suggest the event’s once-glowing allure is quickly fading.
They said: "The Met Gala’s always been about exclusivity and taste.
"Now it feels like a sponsored content shoot with a dress code."
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The 2025 Met Gala will honor the exhibition 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.'
The 2025 Met Gala will honor the exhibition "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," which examines the role of fashion and style in shaping Black identities within the Atlantic diaspora.
Wintour, along with Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and honorary co-chair LeBron James, will serve as co-chairs for the event.
The gala will take place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 5, with the "Superfine" exhibit running until October 26.
