Taraji P. Henson blasts Met Gala attendees over Jeff Bezos funding
"The Bear" star Liza Colón-Zayas and Bella Hadid were among the celebrities who cosigned an Instagram post criticizing the Met for accepting money from Jeff Bezos, though Hadid's "like" disappeared.
KiMi RobinsonTaraji P. Henson is not on board with the 2026 Met Gala.
"The Color Purple" star took to social media in the days leading up to "fashion's biggest night" to share her disapproval of celebrities attending the May 4 museum fundraiser, which boasts Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos as lead sponsors and honorary chairs.
"👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾I am so confused by some ppl that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING," Henson wrote in a May 2 comment under writer and pop culture commentator Meredith Lynch's Instagram post.
In her video, Lynch criticized the Metropolitan Museum of Art for accepting money from Bezos, whom she noted has publicly backed President Donald Trump amid the Trump administration's efforts to withdraw funding from museums, libraries and agencies that support art organizations. Lynch also warned Met Gala attendees to avoid wearing "ICE Out" protest pins because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses Amazon Web Services' cloud systems.
Lynch's post received nearly 30,000 likes and counting, including by "The Bear's" Emmy-winning star Liza Colón-Zayas and, at one point, Bella Hadid, though Hadid's "like" later disappeared.
Henson has been vocal about sensitive social and cultural issues in the past, having spoken out about pay disparities in Hollywood and mental health among Black Americans in recent years. She has attended past Met Galas, including in 2025.
Signage protesting Bezos' involvement in the Met Gala popped up across New York City in the days leading up to the event.
The boycott signage, popping up on subway cars, walls and even displayed on the side of buildings, is seemingly being campaigned by members of a group called "Everyone Hates Elon." Members of this activist organization have run similar campaigns against other billionaires in the past.
In one of the group's clips posted to Instagram on May 4, a video was displayed on the side of Bezos' penthouse depicting an Amazon worker criticizing the company.
Celebrities, from cochairs Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour, to Gigi Hadid, Charli XCX and "Heated Rivalry" star Connor Storrie were among the guests at the 2026 Met Gala.
Contributing: Amethyst Martinezk, USA TODAY Network