Met Costume Institute Gala arrivals, New York© GettyImages

Jennifer Garner reveals why she hasn’t attended the Met Gala for the past 16 years

Celebs who constantly appear on the guest list prefer to stay away from the worldwide known Metropolitan Museum stairs


Senior Writer
DECEMBER 13, 2023 1:21 PM EST

The Met Gala is one of fashion’s events; for some Hollywood stars, it is also the place to be. Although only a few celebrities can secure the coveted invitation, others who constantly appear on the guest list prefer to stay away from the worldwide known Metropolitan Museum stairs, including Jennifer Garner, who decided never to return after her first run.

© GettyImages

The 51-year-old actress and mother to Ben Affleck’s kids attended the Met Gala for the first time in 2007 alongside designer Valentino Garavani. Although she maintains a great relationship with the gala organizer and Vogue’s EIC Anna Wintour, she revealed why she hasn’t returned to the publication.

While filming a makeup tutorial for Vogue, Garner said: “I found it a little scary, so I haven’t been back,” she added that despite it, she felt uncomfortable; her Valentino dress was “magical” and elegant. “That was really, like, majestic and special,” Garner remembered.

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Garner thought her look was stunning, and in 2018, she once again praised the dress. “You will never appreciate using the bathroom alone until you’ve been sewn into a dress — Met Gala 2007,” she wrote on Instagram.

Met Gala 2024

The annual tradition will take place May 6, 2024, bringing together the biggest names in entertainment, fashion, and sport together at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Vogue magazine recently announced that the upcoming gala will revolve around the theme “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” “The Met’s innovative spring 2024 Costume Institute exhibition will push the boundaries of our imagination and invite us to experience the multisensory facets of a garment,” Marina Kellen, French Director and CEO of The Met, said.