The Met Gala can make celebrities weirdly bold with their relationships, and there are a lot of random duos who are now solidified in history after attending together — whether they want to be or not. There are two ways celebrities end up walking together at the Met Gala. The first (and most obvious) is they are together in real life, but this isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. Just because you’re famous enough to score an invite doesn’t mean your partner is, as well. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour must approve all invitees, and only a very select amount of guests even have the option to bring a date.
The second reason two rando celebrities might appear on the red carpet together (more on that below) is because a brand paired them up. While a single ticket to the Met Gala runs about $30,000, most people get invited by a company that purchased a table. Once again, Anna extends and approves all invites — so you basically get invited to pay thousands of dollars in exchange for attending the most exclusive party of the year.
If you’re not picking up on this theme already: Anna has total control, and Vogue will not-so-subtly nudge table owners to invite certain people who may make sense for their brand (i.e. the Kardashians and Balenciaga or Zendaya and Louis Vuitton).
This is how Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas managed to attend the Met Gala together before they started dating — as guests of Ralph Lauren in 2017. Shawn Mendes and Hailey Bieber claimed the same situation when they walked the Met carpet together in 2018 after months of dating rumors.
“No, we were not making our big debut. We were both asked to walk by Tommy Hilfiger,” Shawn told People at the time. “Obviously, Hailey and I are friends, and it was just really cool for me to be able to walk with her because she’s a vet and it was my first year, so it kind of took the pressure off a little bit.”
His nonchalance made much more sense once Hailey got engaged to now-husband Justin Bieber two months later. In Shawn’s words: “You can’t control your heart.” :[[[[
But I digress. It’s important we revist some of the most ~random~ celebrity couples who walked the carpet together at the Met.
Met Gala Couples You Forgot About
Christina Ricci and Chris Evans: 2007
Captain America and Wednesday Addams together have broken my brain. Their relationship fizzled out as fast as it came together, but they’ll always have the Met!
Shawn Mendes and Hailey Bieber: 2018
They look like the best-looking prom king and queen I’ve ever seen.
Jessica Simpson and John Mayer: 2007
I blame this relationship for the reason I know the phrase “sexual napalm.” They split the same month they attended the Met together.
Emily Blunt and Michael Buble: 2007
Emily Blunt said, “I just haven’t met you yet,” to John Krasinski.
Charlize Theron and Sean Penn: 2014
These two started dating five months before this appearance, and their relationship lasted until 2015.
A$AP Rocky and Gwyneth Paltrow: 2017
A$AP and Gwyneth were both guests of Calvin Klein and posed for a photo before heading inside. Unlike most accounts of the Met, Gwyn said it “sucked” and it was too hot and crowded. Relatable!
Amber Rose and Kanye West: 2009
Before there was Kim, there was Amber Rose. This feels like ancient history.
Ashley Olsen and Justin Bartha: 2009
Ashley Olsen dated the guy from The Hangover for three years before they split in 2011. Who knew??
Kirsten Dunst and Jake Gyllenhaal: 2003
This is what early 2000s dreams were made of.
Penn Badgley and Blake Lively: 2009
I have seen photos of Blake Lively in this dress hundreds of times and this is the first I’ve realized Penn Badgley (her boyfriend at the time) was also there.
Aaron Rodgers and Olivia Munn
Proof that you can date someone for two years and no one except you will remember.
