Weeks ago in February, Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren S nchez Bezos were announced as the lead sponsors and honorary chairs of Met Gala 2026. Doesn’t that sound like a big deal? Well, it does. However, not everyone looked excited. The announcement led to massive protests across the US. According to reports, several Amazon workers and activist groups united and asked for a full-on boycott of the billionaire. Bezos sponsoring the Met Gala too became the talking point. As protests grew louder, many urged others to skip the event. Interestingly, several popular names including Zendaya, Bella Hadid, and Meryl Streep quietly passed on their invites. Officially, it was due to “prior commitments”. However, reports suggest Bezos’ involvement could have played a key role. For the unversed, Met Gala is often hailed as the Oscars of fashion. It’s annually held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and also raises funds for its Costume Institute. Theme for the year 2026? “Fashion Is Art.” As expected, the looks displayed at Met Gala 2026 were as dramatic as ever.
Why Jeff Bezos sponsoring the Met Gala didn’t sit right with everyone
Several signs popped up in New York City recently demanding a boycott on the annual fashion fundraiser. These protest signages were displayed on subway cars, walls and buildings, days before the Met Gala happened. Several group members had reportedly claimed that had hidden several bottles of fake urine in the Met Museum. This was a reference to the allegations made in the past against Amazon about workers being asked to urinate in bottles to match time demands.
Who is responsible for campaign against Bezos?
Ahead of the much-awaited gala, several protesters urged the residents to boycott the event. One of their messages that went viral read, “The Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by worker exploitation,” highlighting the working conditions within Amazon. Another poster mentioned, “brought to you by the firm that powers ICE.” The poster also featured a photo of tear gas on a red carpet. On May 3, the anti-billionaire group had put out interviews with Amazon workers at several locations.
Uniter
?????? Amazon worker Mary Hill: “Shame on you, Jeff Bezos. The people that need to be being celebrated at the Met Gala are the workers, people like me. We deserve that celebration.”? @MarkRuffalo @amazoncause @EveryoneHatesElon #DV1 #DemsUnited https://t.co/z5jXN1vs5Z pic.twitter.com/x7SfpxN0Kh
— Divider Decider ?? ? Flip Congress Blue ? (@DeciderDivider) May 5, 2026
“If You Can Buy the Met Gala, You Can Pay More Taxes,” one of the messages read. In another viral video, a worker said, “Shame on you, Jeff Bezos. The people that need to be being celebrated at the Met Gala are the workers, people like me. We deserve that celebration.”
This year, the Met Gala was held on May 4. It was attended by several popular faces including Beyonce, Rihanna, A$ AP Rocky, Anne Hathaway, Manish Malhotra, Karan Johar and Isha Ambani.
