An activist group has placed hundreds of bottles of fake urine inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art to protest billionaire Jeff Bezos's treatment of Amazon workers, as he and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos prepare to serve as honorary co-chairs and lead donors of the 2026 Met Gala.
Protest Details
Everyone Hates Elon, a British political activist group known for protesting Elon Musk, placed nearly 300 miniature bottles of fake urine throughout the Met on Friday. The action references multiple employees at the Jeff Bezos-owned company claiming they were denied bathroom breaks, just days before the fashion extravaganza on the first Monday of May.
The group wrote in an Instagram post: "Jeff Bezos's company Amazon is literally being sued for forcing workers to urinate in bottles. Amazon avoids MILLIONS in tax and Bezos is one of the world's richest men. The Met Museum is taking the PISS by having Jeff honoured as their Gala host. When they celebrate Trump's billionaires, let's ridicule them instead."
Each small bottle of fake urine features a picture of Bezos's face and reads: "Boycott the Bezos Met Gala." Bezos's company, which made him a billionaire, has long faced criticism for its demands on workers, including injuries and health issues suffered by employees aiming to meet fast delivery deadlines. In 2024, Amazon workers in India's Manesar warehouse claimed they had to pledge they wouldn't take any breaks until they met their targets.
Additional Actions
Near the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, Everyone Hates Elon has also put up posters that read: "Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE." Critics have also accused Bezos, who recently spent millions on a movie by First Lady Melania Trump via his Amazon MGM film studios, of buying influence at the prestigious fashion ball.
The Independent has contacted the Met, Bezos, and Everyone Hates Elon for comment. Anna Wintour has attempted to quell the backlash over the couple's involvement, telling CNN in November: "I think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event. I'm very grateful for her incredible generosity, and she's a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion, so we're thrilled she's part of the night."
The couple's sponsorship of the Met Gala breaks precedent of having a legacy fashion house as the primary sponsor.
Celebrity Boycott
Amid the protests and calls for a boycott, multiple celebrities are skipping the Met Gala, including Zendaya and Meryl Streep. Elle reported Friday that Zendaya will miss the New York City ceremony to take a break from the spotlight after doing two near-simultaneous press tours for The Drama and Euphoria season three.
The Daily Mail reported this week that Meryl Streep was rumored to have turned down a co-chair role at the Met Gala because of Bezos and Sanchez's involvement. Her representative told The Independent: "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."
Streep can currently be seen playing Miranda Priestly, a character inspired by longtime Met Gala chair and Vogue editor Anna Wintour, in The Devil Wears Prada 2, and appears on the May 2026 Vogue cover.
