It’s an evening filled with A-list celebrities, museum-worthy fashion looks... and drama! The 2025 Met Gala is set to start in just a few hours, but while we’re all excited to see how the stars interpret the theme of “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” we know something more excited is bound to go down.
Over the years, the Met Gala has been rostered with messy moments that’ll go down in history. So to kick off the gala in the right way, The Root is revisiting the top five most messy Black moments in Met history.
Diddy Crops the Jenners Out
2017 was a memorable Met Gala for Sean “Diddy” Combs. The disgraced mogul showed up with his now-ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and was even captured laying down on the Met Gala stairs, watching her pose for paparazzi. In light of his federal trial starting next week, Combs’ actions back then can be seen in a new light.
Controversy began swirling after Diddy posted a picture on Instagram with Migos, Jaden Smith, Wiz Khalifa and Travis Scott. The moment was a clear example of Black boy joy, but there were two people in the photo that didn’t make the final cut.
Sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner stood out as sore thumbs in the original picture, so Diddy simply cropped them out. Still, the move caused a bit of controversy for days following.
Demi Lovato and Nicki Minaj Drama
Will Nicki Minaj ever beat the mean girl allegations? In 2016, she showed up as one of two dates for fashion designer Jeremy Scott. His other date was singer Demi Lovato, and she did not have a good time.
In 2018, Lovato came out saying she had “a terrible experience,” according to her interview with Billboard. “This one celebrity was a complete b***h and was miserable to be around. It was very cliquey.” She even said the 2016 Met Gala incident made her almost break her sobriety.
Beyoncé Drops ‘Lemonade,’ Then Shows Up... Alone
Beyoncé took her song “Me, Myself, and I” a little too seriously after her 2016 album, “Lemonade” dropped. Usually, Queen Bey is accompanied by her husband, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, but in 2016, rumors of divorce, infidelity and more led to Bey showing up to the gala alone, wearing a latex dress and dark makeup. Her solo appearance only amped up speculation around the Carters, especially after that infamous night in the elevator — but we’ll get to that later.
Bella Hadid Watches Her Ex The Weeknd and Selena Gomez Together
Everyone hates to see their ex out with a new boo, but if your ex is pop sensation The Weeknd and you’re model Bella Hadid, the dagger has to cut extra deep. At the 2017 Met Gala, the “Die For You” singer was all smiles with his new girlfriend, Selena Gomez.
At the same time, however, Hadid showed up in what some say was a “sexy revenge catsuit,” keeping her distance from her on and off again ex, according to W Magazine. Hadid and The Weeknd got back together one year later... then broke up again.
Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Solange in that Elevator
Drum roll please... When we say this is one of the messiest moments in pop culture history, we mean it! In 2014, the world was left stunned when video leaked of Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Solange in an elevator leaving the Met Gala.
In the clip, posted by TMZ, Solange starts wailing on Jay, kicking, hitting and pushing him. All while Jay-Z is trying to dodge Solange’s punches and Bey is standing there minding her business. Although the public will likely never fully know what exactly went down on that faithful day in the elevator, this moment was the catalyst for three of the most important albums in Black history: Solange’s “A Seat at the Table,” Beyonce’s “Lemonade,” and Jay’s “4:44.”