Billy Porter says he hasn’t been invited to Met Gala since 2019: ‘Don’t go places I’m not welcome’
Billy Porter at the Met Gala in 2019 (Getty Images)
Billy Porter has revealed he hasn’t been invited back to the Met Gala since his show-stopping debut in 2019, when he arrived carried on a platform in a gold, Egyptian-inspired look for the event’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme.
Speaking in a 22 April interview on SiriusXM’s Bevelations podcast with Bevy Smith, Porter said that his 2019 appearance, which quickly went viral, remains the only time he’s attended the fashion world’s biggest night.
“That’s the only time I’ve ever gone and the only time I’ve ever been invited and I was invited by Ryan Murphy that year,” Porter said.
The actor noted that his absence felt particularly striking during the 2024 gala, which celebrated Black style and dandyism, saying: “Last year was Black dandyism and I was not invited, I’m just going to throw that out there. The reality is when people ask me, you need to know I was not invited and I don’t go to places where I’m not welcome.”
Despite that, Porter emphasised he’s at peace with the situation, saying: “I’ve earned the invitation and it’s OK that I don’t have it because there’s a level that I’ve reached that doesn’t require validation from the outside. So, I’m going to sit and live in that because it helps keep me sane too.”
Porter, known for pushing boundaries in fashion and representation, has continued to reflect on his 2019 look as a defining cultural moment.
Met Gala 2026 theme
This year’s Met Gala is taking place on the first Monday of May, as usual, this year 4 May. Its theme is “Costume Art”.
The co-chairs for the event are Anna Wintour, Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams. Its sponsors are Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, and Saint Laurent.
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