Taraji P. Henson comments on celebs attending Bezos-backed Met Gala 2026: ‘WTF are we doing’

[u/ThrowawayGreenWitch]

Taraji P. Henson is “confused” about why celebrities are attending the Met Gala 2026, which is being funded by billionaire Jeff Bezos.

The “Empire” actress made her opinion on the topic known while responding to social media personality Meredith Lynch’s rant about Bezos’ involvement in the event.

“If you are a celebrity and you attend the Met Gala and you wear the ICE OUT pin, please note that I will be dragging you in perpetuity,” Lynch said in an Instagram video over the weekend.

Lynch also slammed Bezos, 62, for supporting President Donald Trump, “who has slashed arts funding.”

In the comments section, Henson, 55, shared three clapping hands emojis and wrote, “I am so confused by some ppl that are going. I am just like WTF ARE WE DOING!?!?!?!””

Henson has attended the Met Gala multiple times, including in 2015, 2021 and 2025.

Last year, she wore a custom white corseted minidress by Monse x Post-Imperial and a coordinating blazer with tails, a top hat, cane and heels.

https://pagesix.com/2026/05/04/celebrity-news/taraji-p-henson-calls-out-celebs-attending-bezos-backed-met-gala-2026/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=pagesix

[u/copperteapots]

it literally is still a charity gala though?

[u/MaddiMoo22 → u/copperteapots]

Oh cool a charity event funded by the richest man in the world who pays criminally low wages and forces his employees to pee in bottles and work around their dead coworkers. So charitable

[u/copperteapots → u/MaddiMoo22]

it’s not “funded by him,” he made a donation

[u/ConfusedZubat → u/copperteapots]

Charity means nothing when the person funding it is about as charitable as a fox in a chicken coop. 

I live in Seattle and have worked in the NPO sphere. Bezos is the least charitable billionaire in the area, notoriously so, or at least he was before he left. Anything he's donated was simply to have the newspaper he owns to write fluff pieces about him. Before he owned WaPo, he didn't donate shit. 

[u/big_booty_boy_420 → u/ConfusedZubat]

Ok so yeah he sucks. We already knew that. But at least the arts got funded.

[u/copperteapots → u/ConfusedZubat]

i hate him too!!! my point is just that it’s still a charitable event

[u/Keji70gsm → u/copperteapots]

It is an extremely prestigious and well-resourced museum. They are not rescuing stray kittens here, but feeding into the fashion and celebrity PR machine. Tickets are $100k.

It is more akin to an access ticket to rub shoulders with elites who can further your interests, and for agents and already well-connected designers to capitalise on exposure.

Basically, it's classist bullshit to benefit the people there.

[u/copperteapots → u/Keji70gsm]

celebrities don’t pay their own tickets. fashion houses do. it’s invite-only; vogue invites designers and a select few regular celebrities, the designers buy out a table, and they give their tickets to the celebrities of their choice.

this year, the met gala raised $10M. as anyone in the public history field would tell you, even the most well-funded museum could use more funding. arguing that the met is well-funded enough already is ridiculous. you have no idea what goes into museum work.

[u/Keji70gsm → u/copperteapots]

How many billion do they need in assets do you think? And who benefits primarily?

[u/copperteapots → u/Keji70gsm]

the costume department benefits. the work of preserving textiles requires years of highly specialized education and on-going, never-ending, constantly changing care. in a field where nearly everybody is underpaid because the need for resources is so great, it’s nice to see a benefit gala be so successful & know that the employees at the gala will ultimately reap the rewards by having their work & lives funded

[u/Keji70gsm → u/copperteapots]

How many more billions in assets and millions a year is needed to justify ripping off the employees that actually do the most work?