Taraji P. Henson Questions Celebrities at Bezos-Sponsored Met Gala: “What Are We Doing?”
Taraji P. Henson has taken her fellow celebrities to task for their participation in this year’s Met Gala, which is controversially sponsored by honorary co-chairs Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
The actress, known for her role in Empire, shared a social media post by Meredith Lynch titled “a warning for celebs,” cautioning attendees against wearing ICE Out pins. Lynch expressed concern over Bezos’s involvement, stating he is “part of the reason we’re in this f—ing mess.” While acknowledging the gala’s fundraising purpose, Lynch criticized the event’s sponsorship by Bezos, who has previously supported policies detrimental to arts funding.
Henson echoed Lynch’s sentiments, posting her confusion and disbelief with clapping emojis: “I am so confused by some ppl that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING!?!?!?!”
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In a separate post, the Oscar nominee shared an image from the EU reproductive rights organization My Voice My Choice. The image contrasted Bezos’ $500 million superyacht with reports of challenging working conditions for immigrant workers in Amazon warehouses, which include low wages and high injury rates. Henson captioned the Instagram Story with, “Enjoy the MET 😒.”
Notably, Bezos has reportedly contributed $10 million to sponsor the gala.
Henson is among several high-profile figures who have decided to skip this year’s event, including Zendaya, Bella Hadid, and Ariana Grande, though their reasons for abstaining remain unconfirmed.
In a break from tradition, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced he would also not attend, citing a focus on affordability issues over glamour. This marks a departure from previous mayors, like Eric Adams, who typically participated in the high-profile event.
As discussions around wealth inequality escalate, The New York Times reported on the activist group calling itself Everyone Hates Elon, aimed at raising awareness about the event’s sponsorship. In a provocative move, the group deposited nearly 300 bottles of fake urine inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art to highlight the ongoing allegations of Amazon drivers being compelled to work under dehumanizing conditions.
The Met Gala serves as the primary fundraiser for the Costume Institute at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year’s event featured celebrities including Blake Lively, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Madonna, Janelle Monae, Sabrina Carpenter, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Bad Bunny, and Emma Chamberlain, among numerous others.
