‘Villain’ Jeff Bezos Reportedly Regrets Met Gala Involvement After Report Anna Wintour Just ‘Wanted His Money’—He Was ‘Supposed to Be the Bankroll’
A lot of the talk about the Met Gala has been about Jeff Bezos’ involvement with the event, with some people even reportedly boycotting the gala because of the Amazon founder. Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sánchez, were reported to be sponsors of the event a while ago, but controversy has picked up steam as we approach the actual Met Gala.
It’s gotten to the point that Rob Shuter is saying Bezos is considering not attending, despite reportedly spending at least $15 million as a sponsor of the gala. “Lauren is going. Full stop. You could have protesters hanging from the ceiling, and she’d still step out of that car smiling,” one insider told the journalist.
Related: How do Jeff Bezos’s kids feel about Lauren Sanchez?
“This is not just another party for her — this is the night she’s spent years dressing for, networking for, and socially climbing toward. She did not marry Jeff Bezos to miss the Met Gala.”
But the same is not true of Bezos. “Jeff was supposed to be the bankroll, not the headline,” a source said, explaining, “Anna wanted his money. What she did not want was Jeff Bezos becoming the villain of the night before the first flashbulb even pops.”
And reportedly, the controversy affects something else: security. “Jeff is a target — politically, socially, and physically. At this point, the smartest move may be for Lauren to pose alone and for Jeff to disappear,” another source said.
This comes after recent reports that Wintour has been trying to deal with the criticism, a lot of it coming from people calling the gala tone-deaf and inappropriate considering the cultural moment.
“Anna is genuinely shocked by how hostile this has become,” one insider told Shuter. “She never imagined the Met Gala would start being seen as a symbol of excess instead of a cultural institution.”
Wintour reportedly even called an emergency meeting to discuss the backlash. “There was a real panic meeting about messaging,” one source said. “Anna wanted new talking points immediately. The tone inside was urgent.”
The plan? Change the narrative. “The old pitch was fashion, fantasy, and celebrity,” the source explained. “Now every answer starts with jobs, tourism, and how much money the Met Gala brings into New York. That is the new script.”
“The line now is simple,” says one insider. “The Met Gala funds the Costume Institute. Full stop.”
But the lack of some guests still weighs heavily. “Meryl Streep is on the cover with Anna and still not attending,” one fashion insider said about the Wintour and Streep Vogue cover, promoting The Devil Wears Prada 2. “That sends a message.”
“Anna is used to being admired,” another insider added. “What has rattled her is realizing people are no longer impressed.”
Will Bezos show up? Will Lauren Sánchez walk the red carpet alone? And will the event be the celebrity-filled extravaganza it has been in previous years? We will have to wait and see.
