What's Behind Jeff Bezos-Met Gala Boycott Call And How It's Linked To Donald Trump?

Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos, are making headlines after sponsoring the Met Gala 2026. In response, a widespread protest erupted across the U.S., with many people calling for a boycott of Bezos's appearance at the gala. Amid this controversy, several celebrities, including regular attendees like Zendaya, Bella Hadid, and Meryl Streep, quietly declined their invitations, reportedly due to prior commitments. However, sources suggest their decisions were also influenced by Bezos's presence.

For those unfamiliar, the Met Gala is one of the most significant events in the fashion world, synonymous with couture and celebrity spectacle. Held annually at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, it serves as the primary fundraising gala for the museum's Costume Institute. This year’s Met Gala was no exception, with celebrities showcasing their creativity to honour the theme "Fashion Is Art."

The key questions remain: Why did several celebrities choose to skip the Met Gala, and why are activists protesting against Bezos?

How Jeff Bezos' Met Gala sponsorship triggered boycott calls?

The Met Gala relies on corporate sponsorships, particularly from luxury fashion brands. However, this year, a billionaire, Jeff Bezos, invested his money in hosting the year's biggest fashion event. In February, he and his wife, Lauren, were announced as lead sponsors and honorary chairs of the event. This triggered a widespread protest across the country, with Amazon workers and activists coming together to boycott the billionaire.

The decision to protest was not made overnight. The Met Gala was merely the final straw for people who had been closely watching the relationship between Jeff Bezos and US President Donald Trump. Although Bezos and Trump had previously had a strained relationship, the dynamics shifted after Trump's re-election. Bezos was among those who expressed optimism about the new administration, particularly after Trump indicated interest in supporting deregulation efforts that would benefit Bezos's company.

This is not the first time Bezos has sponsored the Met Gala. In 2012, he sponsored the gala through Amazon to assert the company's place in fashion.

What are protesters demanding?

Ahead of the gala, protesters took to the streets and urged the residents to boycott the event. One of their messages reads, "The Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by worker exploitation," highlighting the working conditions within Amazon. Another poster reads, "brought to you by the firm that powers ICE." The poster shows an image of tear gas on a red carpet.

The campaign behind these posters has been attributed to an activist group - Everyone Hates Elon.

On Sunday, the anti-billionaire group projected video interviews with Amazon workers onto the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the Bezos's penthouse near Madison Square Park.

“If You Can Buy the Met Gala, You Can Pay More Taxes,” read one of the messages.

In another video, a worker can be heard saying, "Shame on you, Jeff Bezos. The people that need to be being celebrated at the Met Gala are the workers, people like me. We deserve that celebration."

Celebs skip Met Gala 2026

Amid the criticism, several celebs decided not to attend one of the biggest galas. Why? Because they have prior engagements. Well, this sounds more like an excuse to the netizens. Zendaya, who is one of the regulars and always makes heads turn with her peculiar sense of fashion, skipped the event as she is busy promoting her upcoming movie. So far, she has appeared seven times between 2015 and 2019, and again in 2024 and 2025, where she also served as a co-chair. So when she skipped this year's gala, it didn't go unnoticed.

Meryl Streep was rumoured to have rejected the co-chair invitation due to the involvement of Bezos. However, soon after her representative clarified that she had consistently chosen not to attend the event. “Meryl has been invited to the Met Gala for many years but has never attended. While she appreciates Vogue, Anna, and her incredible imagination and stamina, it has never quite been her scene," her rep told Page Six.

This year, the Met Gala was held on May 4 with Beyonce, Rihanna, A$ AP Rocky, Anna Hathaway, Manish Malhotra, Karan Johar and Isha Ambani in attendance, among others.

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