Why some celebrities actually hate going to the Met Gala

By Christine Estera|

'The overall ambience isn't super friendly'

Bummed you haven't been invited to the Met Gala again? Don't be. According to those in the know, it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Every year, the who's who of Hollywood and the fashion industry ascend the steps of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art for the fundraising gala. But let's be real, it's slowly become more about couture than charity.

And in recent years, some Hollywood celebrities are even declining their invites altogether, because to them the glamorous soirée has turned into a high-pressure event.

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"Look, it's a very tedious night," one celeb publicist told Page Six. "It's very much work for them. It's very structured, there's a lot of pressure to network, and [it's] not that much of an enjoyable evening."

The likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Amy Schumer, Lena Dunham, Tina Fey and Demi Lovato have turned on the ball. Paltrow called it "un-fun" and Schumer told Howard Stern in a 2016 interview that the Met "felt like punishment" rather than a reward.

"It's people doing an impression of having a conversation… I don't like the farce," Schumer, 36, told the radio host. "We're dressed up like a bunch of f---ing a--holes."

Lovato, 25, goes one further and says the 'Mean Girls' mentality prevails -- she even described some of the A-list guests as "fake and sucking the fashion industry's d--k." In fact, the recovering alcoholic revealed that she was so "uncomfortable" the entire night, she "wanted to drink."

"This one celebrity was a complete b---h and was miserable to be around," Lovato told Billboard magazine in March. "It was very cliquey."

The exclusivity of the event probably comes down to its host Anna Wintour. Apparently, the Vogue editor-in-chief, 68, bans the celebs she dislikes and instills a pecking order on the red carpet and in the seating charts. Wintour's even been known to crack the whip on selfies!

"I think celebrities are nervous [to attend] because it's the who's who of fashion and the whole entertainment industry as a whole," said Ashlee Glazer, a makeup artist who's worked with stars for the Met Gala. "They are going to be judged from 360 degrees."

Indeed, from the moment stars step out of their limos, they are placed under the microscope. And if your significant other wasn't invited by Queen Bee Wintour, then you'll be walking up the Met's 28 steps all on your own. In stilettos.

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"The overall ambience isn't super friendly," one gala regular told Page Six. "It's not like walking into a party where you know everyone and everyone's happy to see you."

No wonder it's an event celebrities don't mind passing up. One Hollywood handler revealed that four of his A-list clients declined their invites without hesitation.

"They want to take a year or two off," said the handler. "It's the same thing. It's long, drawn out and boring."

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