Rihanna’s shocking absence from the 2024 Met Gala was due to the flu, according to multiple reports.
The “Work” singer and mother of two is well known for her stunning appearances at the annual event, and she even teased her plans for this year’s gala in the weeks ahead of time.
But sources told People magazine and E! News that Rihanna was sick with the flu this year and couldn’t make it.
Rihanna, 36, has been a mainstay at the Met ever since her 2015 appearance in a stunning yellow robe designed by Chinese couture designer Guo Pei. She had even teased her plans in April, saying she was “keeping it real simple” for this year’s event.
“I’m coming in as an extra this year,” she told E! News in April. “I know you think I’m lying — it’s chill.”
Observers kept waiting for her arrival Monday night, as she and boyfriend A$AP Rocky famously made fashionably late appearances together in 2021 and 2023, but she was nowhere to be found. The only pictures of her on the Met steps were AI-generated.
Rihanna was one of several Met Gala mainstays who were surprisingly absent from this year’s festivities. Beyoncé, Blake Lively and Bella Hadid were among the expected guests who never showed.
Additionally, high-profile partners Ben Affleck, Tom Holland and Timothée Chalamet were nowhere to be found while Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and Kylie Jenner all attended.
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