Billy Porter has claimed he has not been invited back to the Met Gala since his show-stopping appearance in 2019. The 56-year-old 'Pose' actor made his debut at the event in a bejewelled gold ensemble for that year's theme, 'Camp: Notes on Fashion,' entering the gala on a plinth carried by six shirtless men.
In an interview with SiriusXM's Beverly Smith, Porter said he would not be attending this year's event on 4 May. 'No, I'm not going. I have not been invited… I haven't been invited back since 2019,' he said. The actor added that he does not go 'where I'm not welcome' and spoke about being omitted from last year's event, which celebrated Black dandyism under the theme 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style'.
'I'm just going to throw that out there,' Porter said. 'I'm good. It's all good. But the reality is when people ask me, you need to know I was not invited and I'm good, and I don't go to places where I'm not welcome.' The Tony-winning actor said he has made peace with the situation, explaining that he 'doesn't require validation from the outside'.
Celebrities are invited to the Met Gala primarily through the approval of Vogue's global editorial director Anna Wintour, who controls the guest list. The Independent has contacted the Met and Wintour for comment. Invitations are often based on cultural relevance, and some celebrities attend as guests of fashion brands that have paid for tables.
Porter's 2019 look paid homage to Egyptian art on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and referenced an outfit worn by Diana Ross in the 1975 film 'Mahogany'. This year's dress code is 'Fashion is Art', celebrating the Costume Institute's 'Costume Art' exhibit. Honorary hosts include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams, while Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos are lead sponsors, sparking a boycott campaign from activist group Everyone Hates Elon.
