An activist group has placed hundreds of miniature bottles of fake urine inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to protest Jeff Bezos's involvement in the 2026 Met Gala. The stunt, carried out by the British group Everyone Hates Elon, comes as Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos prepare to serve as honorary co-chairs and lead donors of the fashion event.
The group placed nearly 300 bottles throughout the museum on Friday, each bearing a picture of Bezos's face and the slogan 'Boycott the Bezos Met Gala'. The protest references ongoing lawsuits against Amazon, owned by Bezos, alleging that workers are forced to urinate in bottles due to lack of bathroom breaks.
In an Instagram post, Everyone Hates Elon criticised the Met Museum for honouring Bezos, calling it 'taking the PISS'. The group also put up posters near the museum reading 'Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by the firm that powers ICE'. Critics have accused Bezos of buying influence at the prestigious ball, noting his recent multimillion-dollar film deal with Melania Trump via Amazon MGM.
Anna Wintour, the Met Gala's longtime chair, has defended the couple's involvement, telling CNN that Lauren Sánchez Bezos would be 'a wonderful asset'. However, the sponsorship breaks precedent by not involving a legacy fashion house as the primary sponsor.
Amid the backlash, several celebrities are reportedly skipping the event. Zendaya is said to be taking a break from the spotlight, while Meryl Streep's representative denied rumours she turned down a co-chair role, stating she has never attended the gala. Streep currently stars in The Devil Wears Prada 2, playing a character inspired by Wintour.
