celebrity

All the famous faces that have been banned from the 2019 Met Gala.

Fashion’s biggest night is almost upon us.

Monday’s (Tuesday AEST) Met Gala is set to bring designers, models, movie stars and musicians (plus a few reality TV stars) together for one night of glorious Camp-themed fashion in New York.

Since 1995, the event’s guest list has been carefully presided over by Vogue editor Anna Wintour – meaning that even if you can afford a ticket (which could cost you AU$70,000) Wintour can rescind your invitation.

The world of fashion is brutal, you guys.

While The Hollywood Reporter reports we’ll be seeing famous faces like Bradley Cooper, Blake Lively and Jennifer Lopez at the event, we’ve also discovered a list of people that won’t be there – because Wintour has banned them.

Ouch.

Tim Gunn.

 

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As the former mentor to aspiring fashion designers on Project Runway, Tim Gunn is one of the most recognisable faces in fashion.

But he also has major beef with Wintour, which is why he hasn’t been seen at the Met Gala since his invite was rescinded in 2006.

“I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I’ve ever seen in fashion,” he explained to E!’s Fashion Police.

“And I said ‘it’s easy, it was watching Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards from a fashion show’.”

Vogue immediately asked Gunn to retract his statement, which he refused to do – permanently removing his name from the gala guest list in the process.

“All hell broke loose,” he revealed. “We’ve had an open war ever since.”

Coco Rocha.

Model Coco Rocha
Model Coco Rocha at the 2013 Met Gala... In the same dress Katy Perry would wear at the 2013 VMAs just months later. Image: Getty.
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Supermodel Coco Rocha was a regular on the Met Gala red carpet for years until 2017, when she didn't receive an invite.

When asked why, Rocha told the New York Post she didn't know: "You'll have to ask Anna [Wintour] that," she said.

It was apparently all down to some drama between Rocha and 2017 co-chair Katy Perry.

In 2013, Rocha accused Perry of copying for her style after the singer wore the same Emanual Ungaro gown Rocha wore at that year's Met Gala just a few months earlier.

"I wore her dress at the Met, so I'm going to be phoning someone up and wondering what happened there," Rocha jokingly told Mashable at the 2013 VMAs.

Unfortunately for Rocha, her joke came back to bite her.

Rachel Zoe.

 

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Celebrity stylist and designer Rachel Zoe is another recognisable name in fashion... But it was her willingness to say so that got her banned from the Met Gala.

Zoe was invited to shoe designer Brian Atwood's 2007 gala table, but was disinvited after she made a badly timed comment about Wintour to the New York Times.

"Anna Wintour is one of my heroes, but they say that I’m more influential," she said in a 2007 profile.

Wintour was obviously not having that and swiftly axed Zoe from the guest list.

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Donald Trump.

donald trump melania met gala 2004
How can so much, but yet so little, have changed? Image: Getty.

The year was 2004. Donald Trump was just that guy with the very bad hair who said "you're fired" on The Apprentice.

He and his girlfriend - Slovenian model Melania - were invited to the Met Gala where the reality-TV star got down on one knee and proposed with a 12-karat diamond ring.

Yep, how's that for a (not so) fun fact? Donald Trump proposed to his third wife and current FLOTUS Melania Trump on the 2004 Met Gala red carpet.

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Fifteen years later, things are... different.

Trump is now the President of the United States and well, if the President and Melania wanted to relive their engagement (...unlikely) on Met Gala day, they'll have to do it at Mar-A-Lago, because Wintour would rather invite well, literally anyone, over him.

In 2017, James Corden asked Wintour which former attendee she would never invite back to her event to which she responded: "Donald Trump".

And just last month at the 2019 Women in the World Summit, Wintour said there was "absolutely nothing" Trump could do to receive an invitation to this year's event - to very passionate applause from the audience.

At least they'll always have 2004...

Josh Hartnett.

josh hartnett 2007 met gala
...Remember him? Image: Getty.
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So, even if you're not Donald Trump and you've never said a bad word about Wintour, there's another reason the Vogue editor can ban you from the Met Gala red carpet.

You might just not be famous enough. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

For 90s/00s heartthrob Josh Hartnett, that's the unfortunate reason he was barred from attending.

In 2016 documentary The First Monday in May, Calvin Klein calls Vogue requesting to dress Hartnett and have him sit at his table.

"What has he done lately? Nothing. You guys are all set," was Vogue's less-than-subtle rejection.

Tina Fey.

tina fey met gala 2010
Tina Fey's smile definitely screams "get me the eff out of here". Image: Getty.
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Judging from the above, Wintour is not the type to forgive and forget. So it's lucky that Tina Fey has zero interest in attending the Met Gala again.

"It is such a jerk parade," Fey told David Letterman of the one time she went to the gala in 2010. "If you had a million arms and all the people you would punch in the whole world, they're all there."

"Every jerk from every walk of life is there, wearing, like, some stupid thing... I dragged my husband along with me which I’m still in trouble for."

But for those who do make the cut and will grace the red carpet this year, there are some pretty strict rules they will need to follow, according to the New York Post.

Firstly, if you're invited you basically can't say no if you ever want to attend again. Not unless you're Beyonce-level A list.

Then there's a bunch of other things you need to be aware of on the night:

  • No selfies - what happens at the Met Gala stays at the Met Gala (or ends up on Vogue.com or Kylie Jenner's Insta feed).

     

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  • No phones - Anna Wintour does not want her guests looking at their phones during a dinner party, okay?
  • It's strictly R18 - There will be no Stranger Things kids on this year's carpet.
  • No smoking - They're trying to keep a major art collection safe, so smoking is an obvious no-no.
  • Mingling is a must - Wintour wants celebs to get out of their comfort zone, away from their spouses to meet new people.
  • No publicists - Invitees must go it alone.

It sounds intense.

We can't wait to see it all go down tomorrow.