Sarah Paulson turned heads at the Met Gala on Monday night with a statement-making accessory: a blindfold shaped like a one-dollar bill. The 51-year-old actress wore a Matières Fécales Fall 2026 red-grey tulle ball gown, white gloves, and a choker necklace, but it was the dollar bill mask that drew the most attention.
Social media users were quick to interpret the look as a commentary on wealth and excess. One person wrote on Twitter: 'The dollar bills are doing actual commentary, blindfolded by money... it reads as the only fit on the carpet that’s actually saying something about the carpet.' Another added: 'Sarah Paulson wore a dollar bill over her eyes at the most expensive party on earth. That’s not fashion that’s a statement.'
However, not everyone was impressed. Critics accused Paulson of hypocrisy, pointing out that she attended an event where tickets cost around $75,000. One person posted: 'Sarah Paulson’s dollar bill mask is some sort of protest against the 1% of which she is a part... Give your $12m net worth away.' Another branded the look 'hypocrisy at its finest.'
When asked about the ensemble, Paulson reportedly called it 'the one percent,' a term often used to describe the richest people in the world. The comment fuelled speculation that the outfit was a dig at Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder who helped fund this year's Met Gala. Bezos has faced protests over worker treatment, with a video projected onto his New York penthouse hours before the event.
The Met Gala, a fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, charges $75,000 per ticket, up 50% from 2023. However, celebrities typically do not pay; fashion brands buy tables for $350,000 and invite stars to wear their designs.
