Timothée Chalamet was not reigning supreme at the 2026 Met Gala.
The Wonka actor missed out on attending the Costume Institute-benefit alongside girlfriend Kylie Jenner, posting on his May 4 Instagram Story that he was watching his beloved New York Knicks take on the Philadelphia 76ers for game one of the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Kylie, however, stunned as she made her way up the steps at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art donning a design by Schiaparelli that featured a nude illusion corset bustier with fake nipple details for the “Fashion Is Art”-dress code.
The 28-year-old finished off the look with her brunette hair in waves and a diamond and pearl necklace for the “Costume Art”-themed event, co-chaired by Anna Wintour, Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams. (See all the celebrities at the Met Gala here.)
While Timothée might have been absent from this year’s Met Gala, the Oscar nominee is no stranger to the Met steps.
Back in 2022, the Dune: Part 2 actor co-chaired the Met Gala alongside fellow young icons Billie Eilish, Olympian Naomi Osaka and poet Amanda Gorman.
Sporting an all-white ensemble created by French fashion designer Haider Ackermann for his hosting duties, Timothée took the world by storm with his confident and casual look, which was completed with a pair of white Converse.
At the time, Vogue explained that Timothée was selected as a co-chair for the event because of his "unexpected mix of streetwear, lack of a stylist, and embrace of avant-garde labels sets him apart from his peers."
And the 30-year-old didn't take the designation lightly.
"It feels like a stupid honor," he told Keke Palmer during a red carpet interview at the 2022 Met Gala, before correcting his choice of words, saying, "It's a stupidly big honor—I should put it like that."
And with his return to the fashion extravaganza this year, as well as his Oscars nomination for Marty Supreme and his upcoming movie Dune: Part 3, Timothée is having quite the busy year. But when he's not walking a red carpet, he insisted on making time for a life outside of the spotlight.
"You've got to have real experiences," he told GQ in an interview published in 2023. "Human experiences. You've got to fall in love, you've got to be bored."
To see all the stars who did make it to the Met Gala this year, keep reading.
Beyoncé
in custom Olivier Rousteing and Chopard jewelry.
Rihanna
in Maison Margiela with Briony Raymond, Glenn Spiro, Dyne, Fred Leighton and Desert diamond jewelry.
Kim Kardashian
in custom Allen Jones breastplate, Whitaker Malem skirt and Christian Louboutin shoes.
Bad Bunny
in custom Zara.
Cardi B
in Marc Jacobs.
Hailey Bieber
in custom Saint Laurent and Belperron jewelry.
Blake Lively
in Atelier Versace, Christian Louboutin shoes and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.
Sabrina Carpenter
in Dior, Christian Louboutin shoes and Chopard jewelry.
Anne Hathaway
in Michael Kors.
Kylie Jenner
in custom Schiaparelli.
Katy Perry
in Stella McCartney.
Heidi Klum
in custom Mike Marino.
Connor Storrie
in Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Gigi Hadid
in custom Miu Miu and Jessica McCormack jewelry.
Tessa Thompson
in Valentino, Pandora jewelry and Chillhouse nail polish.
Lisa
in Robert Wun and Bvlgari jewelry.
Teyana Taylor
in Tom Ford.
Blue Ivy Carter
in Balenciaga and Henry & Henry jewelry.
Kendall Jenner
in Gap Studio by Zac Posen and Buccellati jewelry.
Doja Cat
in Saint Laurent.
Charli XCX
in Saint Laurent.
Carey Mulligan
in Prada and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.
Margot Robbie
in Chanel.
Sunday Rose Kidman Urban & Nicole Kidman
in Dior (Kidman Urban) and Chanel (Kidman).
A$AP Rocky
in Chanel.
Emily Blunt
in Ashi Studio, Jimmy Choo shoes, Kurt Geiger bag and Mikimoto jewelry.
Cher
in Burberry.
Zoë Kravitz
in Saint Laurent.
Suki Waterhouse
in Michael Kors and Christian Louboutin shoes.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
in Thom Browne.