Is It True That the Kardashians Will Be Snubbed at This Year’s Met Gala?

It’s hard to imagine the modern Met Gala without the Kardashians. After reportedly holding out for years. Kim Kardashian finally walked the Met steps in 2013 on the arm of her now ex-husband, and ever since then, nary a Gala has taken place without at least one member of the famous family attending. Last year, the slow Kardashian takeover of fashion’s biggest night reached its peak when all five sisters got the in, closing out the Gilded Glamour red carpet as a unified group. It seemed that after knocking on the door of the inner high fashion circle for years, the reality stars were finally reaping the rewards. But now, as we prepare for the 2023 Met Gala, reports are coming in that this year will be completely KarJenner-less for the first time in a decade. It seems far-fetched, but could there be some truth behind the rumors?

The short answer is: probably not. First of all, the report is fairly dubious. Page Six is citing sources that claim Anna Wintour is “cracking down on the guest list at the annual fashion fete—and no Kardashians will make the cut.” As of now, Vogue hasn’t commented on the reports, and likely never will. Guest list matters are usually kept rather hush hush.

Over the years, the KarJenners have become just as interconnected with the Met Gala as other regulars to the event like Blake Lively, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Wintour herself. It took Kim a long time to get her much sought-after invite and she has proven to have no interest in giving it up, attending every year since 2013. The relationship has been mutually beneficial. The KarJenners get the bump from attending one of fashion’s most talked about events of the year, and the Met Gala gets the added publicity that follows the family and every step they take. That’s not to say the Met Gala needs that publicity. It does quite well on it’s own, and with the help of the numerous other A-list stars in attendance. But let’s not forget that the Gala is still a fundraiser, and where the Kardashians go, money does tend to follow.

Also, at this point, the Kardashians (at least some of them) have arguably earned their placement in the world of high fashion. Over the years, there have been numerous other guests in attendance with more dubious claims than the reality stars. When Vogue replaced André Leon Talley with Emma Chamberlain as their red carpet correspondent, they were making a point—views and fanbase trump legacy. If the Kardashians get the boot this year, there’s no hope for Chamberlain, Addison Rae, and the various other YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram stars who have come to expect an invite over the years.

There is, however, some precedent pointing toward a 2023 Met Gala that lacks an appearance from at least Kim. This year, the event will honor the late Karl Lagerfeld, a man who never held back from voicing even his most controversial opinions, some of which were directed at the reality star. In 2016, not long after Kim was robbed at gunpoint in her hotel room in Paris, Lagerfeld spoke to The Telegraph about his opinions on the incident.

“I don't understand why she was in a hotel with no security,” he said. “If you're that famous and you put all your jewelry on the Internet then you go to a hotel where nobody can come near to the room.” He continued, saying, “You cannot display your wealth and then be surprised that some people want to share it with you.”

Despite his harsh, unsolicited comments on a traumatic experience, Kim still remembered Lagerfeld fondly when he passed in 2019. The designer shot Kim for a spread in CR Fashion Book back in 2013 when she was pregnant with North West, and the Skims founder shared images from set following the news of Lagerfeld’s death.

“We lost a true legend!” she wrote. “You were such an inspiration to the world! You shot my first fashion shoot and I was so nervous to work with such an icon! The world is so much chicer because you existed! I am beyond honored to have met you and had the opportunity to work with you. You are so loved and will be so missed.”

It’s not too surprising. The Kardashians seem to have a fairly short attention span when it comes to critiques, though that may be a necessary form of self-defense when you’re part of one of the most criticized families in the world. Still, Kim and Kourtney’s willingness to work with Dolce & Gabbana prove their happy to overlook past transgressions when necessary. And while Kim doesn’t get paid for attending the Met Gala, she already proved with her memorial post for Lagerfeld four years ago that she isn’t holding a grudge and will therefore likely have no issue honoring him at the Met.

Meanwhile, Kendall Jenner has an even stronger case to score an invite. Lagerfeld put her on the Chanel runway numerous times. She even closed out fall 2015 couture show in a bridal suit.

So, will the Kardashians be attending the Met Gala this year? The odds seem high that the answer is yes. Maybe not all of them, but expect to see at least some of the KarJenner contingent in attendance. Besides, with Lagerfeld’s designer archive in play, the amount of historical dresses at Kim’s disposal probably has her watering at the mouth. There’s no way she’s going to miss the opportunity to kick up some publicity by pulling out another angry mob-inducing look.