Why won't 'Devil Wears Prada' star Meryl Streep be at the Met Gala?

Well, it's hardly a hideous skirt convention.

Monday's Met Gala is, by all accounts, fashion's biggest night. And this year, it has the perfect tie-in with "The Devil Wears Prada 2" (now in theaters), which strutted to the top of the box office the day before the main event.

The couture comedy, set at the fictional Runway magazine, has real-world ties to the Met Gala. Meryl Streep's imperious boss Miranda Priestly is heavily inspired by Anna Wintour, Vogue's global editorial director, who has chaired the star-studded benefit for more than three decades.

The film co-stars Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, all of whom have appeared on the A-list red carpet in years past at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Here's what you need to know about the "Prada 2" cast and this year's Met Gala:

Will Meryl Streep be at the 2026 Met Gala?

Social media has run amok with speculation about Streep at the Met Gala, after a May 2 story published in The Hollywood Reporter claimed that she is skipping the event due to the involvement of billionaire Jeff Bezos, who is sponsoring the benefit (and is not so subtly satirized in "The Devil Wears Prada 2").

But Streep has, in fact, never actually been to the Met Gala, although she's had a standing invitation for quite some time.

"Meryl has been invited to the Met Gala for many years but has never attended," Streep's representative told People magazine in a statement published May 4. "While she appreciates Vogue, Anna [Wintour], and her incredible imagination and stamina – it has never quite been her scene."

What does Miranda Priestly wear to the Met Gala in 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'?

Although Streep has never been a part of the actual festivities, her Runway editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly arrives at a Met Gala-esque event in the opening scene of the "Devil Wears Prada" sequel, complete with a mountain of stairs. Miranda shows up in a plunging, scarlet-colored Balenciaga gown that the three-time Oscar-winning actress helped select herself.

"When Meryl and I met, we had lunch with her daughter and the director [David Frankel]," costume designer Molly Rogers tells USA TODAY. "We had such a fun time talking about what a unique situation and experience this was going to be. Almost at the same time, we both said, 'It’s going to be red. The devil reappears in red! Case closed.' It's a lipstick red – there was no other choice.

"And with the way that neckline is, it's such an incredible frame for that shock of white hair," Rogers continues. "God, I loved it. Thank you, Balenciaga!"

How many times has Anne Hathaway attended the Met Gala?

Hathaway has been to the Met eight times in the past, beginning in 2009 when she walked the carpet in a puffy, claret-colored Mark Jacobs dress. The Oscar winner has turned heads in both Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein at the event, although our personal favorite would have to be the spectacular white Versace gown she wore to the 2023 "Karl Lagerfeld" edition: a sparkling cutout number adorned with pearls and safety pins. (A close second was her 2013 "Punk"-inspired look: a sheer, feathered Valentino dress, which she paired with a bleach-blonde pixie cut.)

You might also remember Hathaway's 2018 movie "Ocean's 8," which staged a fake Met Gala as a key plot point. The heist comedy followed a group of scammers, including Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, who are tasked with robbing Cartier jewels from a Hollywood actress and Met co-chair named Daphne Kruger (Hathaway). In the Met Gala scene, Hathaway sparkled in a rose-pink Valentino gown and cape.

Has Emily Blunt ever been to the Met Gala?

Blunt has attended the Met Gala five times. Her Met debut was in 2012, when she posed on the red carpet with husband John Krasinski in a sleek, coral-colored Calvin Klein dress with cutouts. Her standout moment was at the 2021 event, wearing a glittering, showgirl-inspired Miu Miu dress with a dramatic white cape and shimmering, star-embellished headpiece.

Who else from the 'Devil Wears Prada 2' cast has gone to the Met Gala?

Stanley Tucci has been to the Met at least once, back in 2006, the year that the original "Prada" movie was released. Simone Ashley stunned in Moschino and Prabal Gurung at the 2022 and 2024 galas, respectively. Lady Gaga and Ashley Graham, both of whom have cameos in the sequel, have dazzled at multiple events, while designer Donatella Versace – who also has a "Prada 2" cameo – has been a Met fixture for decades.