Jenifer Lewis has joined fellow actress Taraji P. Henson, and others, in calling out celebrities for attending the 2026 Met Gala — sponsored by billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos.
As we previously shared on Monday (May 4), Taraji slammed her fellow A-listers headed to fashion’s biggest night. This year, the gala was controversially sponsored by honorary co-chairs Jeff Bezos and wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
The Amazon founder reportedly contributed $10 million to sponsor the gala amid reports of low wages, high injury rates, and poor work conditions for his workers. Bezos’ sponsorship also arrives after massive layoffs at his warehouses and The Washington Post, which he acquired in 2013.
Taraji P. Henson Condemns Celebrities Ahead Of 2026 Met Gala, Sponsored By Jeff Bezos
Ahead of the gala, the ‘Empire’ actress co-signed a social media post shared by Meredith Lynch, titled, “A warning for celebs.” In the video, Meredith cautioned those attending to not wear “ICE OUT” pins.” Meredith claimed Bezos is “part of the reason we’re in this f***ing mess.”
She added, “It’s wild to me that this event is sponsored by Jeff Bezos, who has backed Trump, who has slashed arts funding.” Taraji shared several clapping emojis and wrote, “I am so confused by some ppl that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING!?!?!?!” Taraji continued to protest on her Instagram Story.
Despite, Taraji, and others, condemning celebrities ahead of the event, handfuls still showed up and showed out on the carpet. Some of the many public figures included: Lala Anthony, Damson Idris, Doja Cat, Angel Reese, Heidi Klum, Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Colman Domingo, SZA, Angela Bassett, Law Roach, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Teyana Taylor, Serena Williams, Cher, Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, Janelle Monaé, Ciara, Russell Wilson, Doechii, Tyla, Tyriq Withers, Sam Smith, Steph Curry, Ayesha Curry, Madonna, Keke Palmer, Katy Perry, Cardi B, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and of course co-chairs Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, who arrived with husband Andrea Preti, and Beyoncé, who arrived with JAY-Z and Blue Ivy.
Jenifer Lewis Slams Celebrities For Attending 2026 Met Gala, Sponsored By Jeff Bezos
A day later, Jenifer Lewis joined in on the criticism. She took to her Instagram account with a video, which she captioned, “How much MORE FAME do we need ???” She continued to hashtag the words “Met Gala” and “shame,” followed by “vote.gov.”
In her video, she said, “They cut 30,000 jobs and gutted ‘The Washington Post,’ and they showed up anyway? Posturing and posing, hoping to be the most? They cut one billion in funding for children’s nutrition. And there they all were, vying for the next position.”
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