From two pregnancy reveals to Pedro Pascal's knees and Rihanna's very, very fashionably late entrance, this year's Met Gala was a memorable one that spawned several very meme-orable moments.
To recap, the annual fundraising gala was a celebration of the life, work and legacy of the late fashion visionary Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel's long-time creative director, founder of his own eponymous label, and contributor to many a fashion house from Fendi to Balmain. Celebrities and industry leaders alike congregated at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to commemorate the Costume Institute's new exhibition, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty and as such, the dress code for the evening was "in honour of Karl".
With this many famous people in one place, the Met often produces a handful of memes each year, or is the backdrop for some sort of drama. Last year it was Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe's custom-made, 60-year-old gown - and allegedly damaging it - and in 2014, there was elevator-gate: Solange Knowles' infamous attack on brother-in-law Jay-Z in a lift while Beyonce calmly stood by.
This year highlights included a gatecrashing cockroach, a very cringe-inducing encounter between supermodels Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner - and lots of meowing. Let's have a look at some of the awkward, adorable, and downright agonising moments from the 2023 Met Gala.
Cockroach crashes the cream carpet
ICYMI, the gala was gatecrashed by a very unwelcome guest who was certainly not dressed for the occasion. In true NYC style, a cockroach made a brief but brazen appearance on the cream carpet. It even got papped: photographer Kevin Mazur was quick to capture a snap of it scuttling towards the stairs. Much like the spider who rocked up to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, the roach has forever been immortalised as a creepy-crawly gatecrasher.
Cockroach who crashed the cream carpet is crushed
Alas, it was not long for this world. After scuttling the cream carpet and posing for a photo or two, the cockroach was promptly murdered. Variety confirmed the cause of death on Twitter: stepped on.
Two very beautiful people have a very cringe-inducing encounter
A video of supermodels Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner is making the rounds on social media, primarily due to Jenner appearing to shut down the interaction by abruptly turning her back on Hadid. The beginning of the footage is innocuous enough, with the two women captured clapping at each other and smiling - before Jenner promptly turns her back on Hadid and begins to suck her teeth in what appears to be a look of annoyance or disdain. The whole thing is very awkward to behold. Hadid, for her part, appeared relatively unphased by Jenner's hasty exit from the conversation.
Doja Cat meows - a lot
As one of the night's most talked-about looks, Doja Cat rocked up in a dress with a cat-eared hood and feline facial prosthetics as an ode to Lagerfeld's famous fluffy companion, Choupette. Doja Cat proceeded to really, um, lean into the role throughout the night. At one point she was captured lapping water from her glass, and on several occasions she simply spoke in varying intonations of meows. One such time was during an interview with Vogue correspondent Emma Chamberlain: Chamberlain asked Doja a series of questions, only to be met with meows. It's quite something.
Profusely sweating Diddy refuses to confirm rumoured relationship with Yung Miami
Here's another very uncomfortable watch - you're welcome. In a heavily cringe-inducing interview, rap mogul Diddy, aka Puff Daddy, was put on the spot by Lala Anthony and asked to address his relationship status with rapper Yung Miami - as she stood right next to him. The two have enjoyed an on-and-off romance for some time now, but have always maintained they are not in an exclusive relationship. When asked by Lala if the two are "officially" an item, a very sweaty Diddy deflected but made sure to reiterate: "We don't put titles on it." He then requested a powder puff to mop and mattify his face and was also seen using a mini portable fan. Yikes.
Reporter calls out A$AP Rocky's name instead of Rihanna's - and it pays off
Amid the brouhaha surrounding Rihanna's very, very fashionably late arrival to the cream carpet, one reporter realised their best bet at attracting the icon's attention was by bucking the trend and calling out her partner A$AP Rocky's name instead. With so many reporters clamouring to get a mere millisecond of RiRi's time, her tactic worked - not only did she get a beaming smile from A$AP (who is always rendered relatively irrelevant while in the presence of his globally adored partner), she also got a cheeky clapback from RiRi herself. Seizing the moment, the reporter quickly yelled out how much she loved Rihanna, calling her "my queen" - and adorably, A$AP responded with, "She's mine too". Who said the Met Gala can't be wholesome?
Jared Leto wears a literal cat costume
No, not a catsuit in the vein of Halle Berry's Catwoman - a fully-fledged fluffy cat costume, similar to the football team mascots you see in American high-school movies. After parading around the cream carpet, the ode to Choupette - Lagerfeld's beloved cat - turned out to contain Jared Leto, who removed the cat's head and revealed himself to the hordes.
Doja Cat flouts Anna Wintour's ban by vaping
And last but not least, Doja Cat - when she wasn't meowing - was also vaping: despite Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's strict rule against smoking. The 27-year-old made a risky Met Gala debut by exhaling clouds of smoke as she waited to be interviewed by Emma Chamberlain, potentially breaching the ban outlined by fashion's first lady. However, the artist was likely using a nicotine-free vape: she publicly ditched vaping last year after undergoing tonsil surgery to remove an abscess. It's unclear whether the Met - or Wintour - prohibits nicotine-free e-cigarettes, but it was still a bold move. When asked what the "best way to never be invited back again" was during a CBS Mornings interview that aired ahead of the event, both Wintour and museum curator Andrew Bolton responded: "Smoking." I guess only time will tell if Doja's indiscretion ruined her chances at a repeat invite.
