The phenomenon of nepo babies dominating the entertainment industry is nothing new. However, on Monday night, the influence of star status was once again demonstrated as both Nicole Kidman and Beyonce circumvented the Met Gala's age restrictions to allow their daughters, Sunday Rose and Blue Ivy, to attend the prestigious event.
Age Restriction Override
While celebrities such as Jaden and Willow Smith, Elle Fanning, and Hailee Steinfeld attended the gala as teenagers in the past, Met Gala chair Anna Wintour implemented a ban on under-18s in 2018 after several young stars were turned away. Dance Moms alum Maddie Ziegler publicised the rule when she informed reporters she could not attend due to her age. Organisers later told The Hollywood Reporter that the event is not appropriate for those under 18 and that the decision was made by Vogue. Yet, almost a decade later, an exception was made on Monday as Sunday Rose, 17, and Blue Ivy, 14, joined their famous mothers on the red carpet.
It appears no coincidence that both Nicole and Beyonce served as co-chairs at this year's Met Gala, potentially swaying Wintour's decision. Both daughters are already forging successful careers in the spotlight, with Sunday Rose pursuing modelling and Blue Ivy captivating audiences during her mother's global tour. Could Anna Wintour be making exceptions for the next generation of megastars?
Sunday Rose Kidman-Urban: A Rising Model
Sunday Rose, who will turn 18 in July, is the eldest daughter of actress Nicole Kidman and country singer Keith Urban. Despite her allegedly overprotective father wanting her to delay entering the fashion industry, she has been modelling since age 16. She made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week in 2024 for Miu Miu's Spring/Summer show. Vogue has backed her from the start, declaring: 'So what does this mean for Sunday Rose Kidman-Urban? Come the Fall 2025 collections in February, I'd wager we're in for a month of Sundays.' A source added that Sunday Rose pushed Nicole to allow her to attend red carpet events, and her efforts paid off. She subsequently landed a major campaign for Omega watches and a three-month campaign with Miu Miu. Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson also chose her to walk in his debut womenswear show and appear in his first coed campaign. She presented him with the Designer of the Year prize at the British Fashion Awards. In March, she walked the runway for Calvin Klein's Fall 2026 show in an oversized beige trench coat with large brown leather lapels over a buttoned-up shirt. Despite criticism that her success stems from her famous mother, Nicole expressed pride by resharing a video of Sunday's walk on Instagram with the caption 'New York Baby.' Sunday arrived at the Met in a pink-and-lavender Dior gown with a boxy strapless bodice and flowing skirt, joining her mother Nicole, who wore a floor-sweeping ruby red Chanel gown with feather trimmings. Nicole described her daughter as a 'springtime blossoming girl' and noted that Sunday had been 'so calm' before the event. 'For me, fashion is art. I wanted something red because I wanted to embrace the way in which red has been used in art through the years,' Nicole told Vogue. 'I feel that it's a strong symbol for love, for passionate love, vitality, for power and motherhood -- and I have a springtime blossoming girl here.' Sunday added: 'I wanted to symbolize something blooming. It's my first Met.'
Blue Ivy Carter: A Performer in the Spotlight
Blue Ivy has taken the world by storm, performing on stages globally during Beyonce's Cowboy Carter Tour. She has been in the spotlight since birth, with Time magazine dubbing her 'the most famous baby in the world' just two days after she was born in 2012. In 2018, the then-six-year-old went viral for ordering her parents to stop clapping during Camila Cabello's speech about Dreamer children. In 2021, she delighted fans with an appearance in promotional material for her mother's Ivy Park x Adidas line. That same year, she became the second-youngest Grammy winner in history, winning Best Music Video for Brown Skin Girl. Blue was credited as a songwriter and contributed vocals to the track on her mother's 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift, and also starred in the music video. She has received numerous awards, including the Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award at the Soul Train Music Awards in 2019 for co-writing Brown Skin Girl. At age nine, she became the youngest winner at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2021 when Brown Skin Girl won the Moon Man trophy for best cinematography. During both the Renaissance and Cowboy Carter tours, Blue was a constant figure on stage as a dancer, performing to sold-out stadiums at just 11 years old. Speaking at the Met Gala, Beyonce described the experience as 'surreal' to attend with Blue Ivy and husband Jay-Z. She told Vogue on the magazine's livestream: 'It feels surreal because my daughter's here. She looks so beautiful. It's incredible to be able to share with her; I think she looks so incredible.' Beyonce wore a crystal skeleton gown with a sparkling crown and ombre feather cape by Olivier Rousteing, accessorised with Chopard jewellery, including an 18-carat white gold necklace with a 6.41-carat brilliant-cut diamond and 140 carats of diamonds. She later changed into a black and gold gown with a matching veil. Blue Ivy wore a white strapless Balenciaga gown with a voluminous skirt and train, paired with an unzipped jacket, sunglasses, and silver stilettos.
As two co-chairs flout the rules, this could open the floodgates for more young stars to grace the Met red carpet in the coming years.
