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Not everyone in Hollywood made it to the top of those iconic Met Gala steps in 2025, and two of the most talked-about stars of the moment were notably MIA. Despite being invited, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce did not show up to the 2024 Met Gala. And no, it wasn't because they couldn't find coordinating couture or because the theme stumped them. The reason they skipped fashion's biggest night is refreshingly normal: they just wanted to chill.
The A-list couple opted out to enjoy some rare downtime together. According to sources close to the duo, Swift and Kelce are focusing on private time, something that's been rare ever since their whirlwind romance became the stuff of NFL halftime show montages and Grammy acceptance speeches.
© GC ImagesTaylor, 35, and Travis, also 35, have both had marathon-level schedules lately. Swift wrapped up a leg of her record-shattering "Eras Tour," and Kelce just finished another grueling NFL season. So when the invitation to Anna Wintour's ultra-exclusive soirée landed, they had every right to RSVP with a polite "pass."
"They're making the most of their time off together," a source told People in April. "They're hanging out with friends, traveling, and enjoying some much-needed privacy."
Met Gala No-Shows Were a Theme
They weren't the only ones who traded fashion's biggest night for something a bit more low-key. LeBron James, who was actually supposed to co-chair the event, had to bow out due to a lingering knee injury. He made the announcement hours before the gala via X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Unfortunately because of my knee injury I sustained at the end of the season I won't be able to attend the Met Gala in NY tonight."
Sarah Jessica Parker, the queen of Met Gala camp, skipped too. "I have to work," she told Entertainment Tonight a few days before the event.
© Grosby GroupEven Naomi Campbell took a pass this year, though she shared a heartfelt message on Instagram expressing her gratitude for the invite and paid tribute to her late friend and fashion legend André Leon Talley.
While Taylor and Travis didn't grace the Met steps, other celebrity couples did take their moment to shine. Well, some of them. Olivia Rodrigo let her boyfriend, "Enola Holmes" actor Louis Partridge, attend solo, perhaps in a nod to the theme, or maybe just giving him a chance to have his moment without the pressure of being half of a power couple debut.
© The Image Direct/The Grosby GroupAs for Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds? The Met Gala mainstays continued their streak of skipping the event since 2022. Blake has made it clear she loves the gala, but these days, she's probably more into bedtime stories than ball gowns with four kids under 10.
Some Just Aren't That Into It
Others don't see the Met as a must-do. Jennifer Garner has called the event a bit "scary," only attending once in 2007. Meanwhile, big names like Meryl Streep and Ryan Gosling have never stepped onto the Met carpet. Gosling and Eva Mendes notoriously keep things low-key, while Streep was supposed to co-chair in 2020, but COVID happened.
And let's not forget about those whom Anna Wintour allegedly banned. Read the list here.
So, Who Did Show Up?
This year, many returning faces, including Latinos and Hispanics, made their mark, posing on the blue carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. One of the first stars to grace the gala is none other than Afro-Latino star Colman Domingo, who was one of the co-chairs for the special event, followed by Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldaña.
© John ShearerBad Bunny and Kendall Jenner reunited at the event, while Kim Kardashian sent daughter North West back to the hotel.
