Revisit MET Gala controversies: From Kim Kardashian damaging Marilyn Monroe’s dress to Doja Cat vaping 

Kim Kardashian, Doja Cat Pic/AFP

The Oscars of fashion aka the MET Gala is all set to embrace the first Monday of May the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The theme for this year is 'Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion' and an official dress code of 'The Garden of Time' promises to inspire creativity and innovation from the attendees, who will no doubt pull out all the stops to interpret the theme in their unique ways. While we cannot wait for the standouts this year, here's a look at controversies that surrounded the MET in the past.

Doja Cat Vaping

Singer Doja Cat broke an important rule at the Met Gala while attending the event in 2023. She was caught vaping on the red carpet at Vogue's prestigious ball despite Anna Wintour's strict rule against smoking. Representatives for the star told Daily Mail that there was no nicotine in the device and that it only contained a flavoured water vapour. When making her Met Gala debut, Doja literally turned into a cat in honour of Karl Lagerfeld's beloved pet Choupette. Her hooded silver sequined Oscar de la Renta gown featured a cat-ear silhouette and feathered train that was punctuated by cat eye, mouth, and nose makeup.

Kim Kardashian's Marilyn Monroe dress

Kim Kardashian's Marilyn Monroe moment at the MET Gala 2022 was the most talked about look. Some praised the Business Mogul for the way she carried the 60-year-old heritage while some were not happy and thought it was an insult to the legend. The reality TV star was also under fire for allegedly destroying the outfit Marilyn wore when she sang on President John F. Kennedy's birthday in 1962. However, a rep for Ripley's 'Believe It or Not!', who bought the dress for USD 4.8 million in 2016 denied the same. Amanda Joiner, Ripley's Vice President of Publishing and Licensing, who was with Kim and the dress the entire day of The Met, said, "From the bottom of the Met steps, where Kim got into the dress, to the top where it was returned, the dress was in the same condition it started in."

Rihanna as the Pope

The theme for 2018's Met Gala was 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination'. In consideration of it, headpieces were the highlights of the night. Pop queen Rihanna raised brows for her John Galliano for Maison Margiela outfit that resembled the Pope. Many found the ensemble to be offensive and disrespectful to religion. "It feels expensive; it's heavy. They beaded this by hand... It would be a sin not to wear it," Rihanna said in an interview on the red carpet.

Scarlett Johansson and Harvey Weinstein

In 2018, Scarlett Johansson wore a burgundy gown designed by Marchesa, a fashion label co-founded by Georgina Chapman. While one might not bat an eye at it, Georgina is the wife of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein was named and shamed in the #MeToo movement which resulted in him being sentenced to prison for rape and sexual assault. However, back then Scarlett courted controversy for associating with him in any form.

Tribute to Karl Lagerfeld

Actor Jameela Jamil celebrities for attending the 2023 Met Gala, which honoured the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Jamil noted that many of the celebs in attendance were outspoken feminists, despite Lagerfeld's bigoted comments against fat women. Lagerfeld died in 2019 at the age of 85. He expressed derision for fat women, calling Adele "a little too fat" in 2012 (he apologised shortly thereafter) and saying "no one wants to see" plus-size models in a 2009 interview with the German magazine Focus.

(With inputs from Agencies)