Fashion’s biggest night out may be missing one of its most iconic faces this year. Naomi Campbell, who ruled the Met Gala red carpet for over two decades, appears to have lost her reign with an abrupt and pretty icy halt.
The supermodel has reportedly been banned from fashion’s biggest night out after throwing shade at none other than Anna Wintour herself. And it looks like the Queen of Vogue neither forgives, nor forgets.
Naomi Campbell is reportedly banned from this year’s Met Gala after a feud with Anna Wintour
The Met Gala is set to take place on May 5, the first Monday in May, at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and this year’s theme is: Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. So, who’s in attendance? We know who isn’t, and that’s Naomi Campbell.
According to reports, the British supermodel and the Vogue editor-in-chief have had bad blood ever since Campbell’s stunning jab at Wintour at a New York Fashion Week event on September 2024. And the queen is now excluding her 66-time cover star from the most-anticipated fashion highlights of the year.
An insider said, “You don’t throw shade at the queen of fashion and still expect to walk her red carpet”
A source speaking to The Sun in a since-removed report said Campbell’s absence is no coincidence, but the result of the feud between the two fashion icons. They explained, “Naomi’s been a Met staple for decades, so her absence from the list hasn’t gone unnoticed. Everyone’s whispering – and it’s Anna’s way of reminding who runs the show.”
“Naomi shot herself in the stiletto with that comment. You don’t throw shade at the queen of fashion and still expect to walk her red carpet,” they added.
Saying that Wintour “doesn’t forget – or forgive,” they added that, “It’s no coincidence. If Anna wants you out, you’re out. Simple as that.”
Campbell shared a YouTube video signaling she wasn’t going to attend the Met this year anyway
While several news outlets have reported that Naomi Campbell has been banned from this year’s Met Gala, the supermodel appeared to do some damage control of her own, claiming she had already bowed out for good.
In a YouTube video she posted last week, Campbell reflected on her outfit at the 2024 Met Gala, saying: “It is my last. I can’t… I’m too old. It’s too much for me, the anxiety.”
“I don’t know what number this is, I think it could be either 20 or 21. Can you imagine?” she added.
The fashion icons first clashed at an NYFW event over punctuality
Image credits: Naomi
Wintour 75, and Campbell, 54, first clashed at the NYFW ceremony for Harlem’s Fashion Row in September 2024, where the latter’s infamous lateness caused issues in the program.
Footage from the event shows the artistic director teasing Naomi for arriving late to the party, and it went viral at the time. “I am a very punctual person, and I have the honor of presenting tonight to someone who is often late,” Wintour said in reference to Campbell. Reportedly, the model was so late that Wintour eventually left the event.
Campbell took a jab at Wintour, saying, “It wasn’t my choice to have the other lady, but I’d much rather have this,” during her award acceptance speech
Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Samira Nasr ended up presenting her with the Fashion Icon Award instead. While accepting the statue, Campbell hit back at Wintour, saying, “Yes, ‘Naomi’s always late,’ but I believe in my high power, and I want to thank my higher power for having me be here.
“Everything’s going to work out the way it’s meant to work out. It wasn’t my choice to have the other lady, but I’d much rather have this, so thank you,” she added, sparking gasps from the crowd.
The supermodel’s representatives said she wasn’t late, but instead was set up by Wintour herself
Following the incident, TMZ reported that the supermodel wasn’t late. According to Campbell’s representatives, it was in fact Anna Wintour who moved up the time of an event, leaving Naomi Campbell to show up late.
According to the news outlet, Wintour bumped up the presentation time to catch the US Open, where she was later spotted enjoying the match. Campbell, unaware of the real reason, reportedly noticed Anna’s early exit and threw shade in response during her onstage speech.
@heyyyitsanika #naomicampbell definitely decided to speak her truth!!! she kicked off #nyfw by accepting the @harlemsfashionrow Fashion Icon Award and had some *choice words* for #annawintour ♬ original sound – Anika Reed
The representative said, “We’re told the model clocked the fashion guru’s exit and was disappointed by it — prompting her to make her own shady remark onstage.”
New reports suggest the guest list for the 2025 Met Gala has been leaked
Often called fashion’s equivalent of the Oscars, the Met Gala is where history meets haute couture with stars going all out to make a statement. Every guest is hand-picked by Anna Wintour, who curates a mix of names across music, fashion, film, sports, and beyond.
The official co-chairs for the 2025 Gala include Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams, with LeBron James serving as honorary co-chair. The host committee also features bold names like Doechii, Tyla, Usher, Janelle Monáe, and Ayo Edebiri.
But the real tea? A reportedly leaked guest list, shared by Page Six. The alleged guest list is packed with star power, featuring music legends like Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Lauryn Hill, and Mary J. Blige, alongside chart-toppers Lorde, Bebe Rexha, Shaboozey, and Shakira.
Hollywood is also well-represented with appearances from Angela Bassett, Demi Moore, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, and Nick Jonas. Rising stars and fashion-forward figures like Adrienne Warren, Ego Nwodim, Amelia Gray, Ashley Graham, Paige Bueckers, and Miles Chamley-Watson round out the list, along with Tracee Ellis Ross, making it a perfect blend of talent.
Online users commented on the sensational exclusion of Naomi Campbell from the Met Gala
