Renowned on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most A-list nights in the showbiz calendar, the Met Gala is known for its incredible guestlist, jaw-dropping fashion statements and, more often than not, puzzling themes.
But one thing people have always been a little hazy about is… what actually happens when celebrities get inside.
Well, Emmy-winning actor (and Met Ball staple) Sarah Jessica Parker has spilled the beans.
During an interview on Today the morning after this year’s Met Gala, SJP was quizzed on exactly what goes on inside the exclusive event.
The annual event is actually a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, with the Sex And The City star revealing that once you “manage to get up those steps”, guests are “among the very privileged few who get to see the new exhibit early”.
Sarah Jessica revealed that organiser Anna Wintour gives the A-list attendees timeslots to arrive, with the Emmy winner revealing she was among the first to get there on Monday night, meaning it was “quieter when I got there, and there were very few people in the gallery”.
So far, so… cultural? But SJP did clarify that there is a dinner and music (this year Ariana Grande performed, while Madonna, Lizzo, Cher and Rihanna all have in recent years) for guests while they “chat and look at people that you know you’d never be in a room with” – although she had good reason for ducking out before all of that got underway at this year’s event.
“I couldn’t sit,” she admitted, referring to her less-than-accommodating outfit as her reason for leaving before dinner was even served.
“It’s a really lovely opportunity to be inside one of the great cultural institutions in the world and kind of have access to it,” she added.
“But also just [being with] people that you’d never be in a canyon with… your paths wouldn’t cross. I never speak to anybody, I’m very shy… and everybody’s so famous… you know what I mean?”
This year’s Met Gala was co-chaired by Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth and Bad Bunny, while other stand-outs on the red carpet included Succession star Kieran Culkin, chart-topping rapper Doja Cat and singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey (and not, despite what you might have seen, Katy Perry).
Watch Sarah Jessica Parker’s full Today interview below: