The 2026 Met Gala was overshadowed by intense demonstrations as protesters descended on New York to condemn a controversial leadership appointment. While stars walked the red carpet, a coalition of activists executed a high-stakes campaign that had been building momentum for weeks.
The fallout from the event has now left the fashion world grappling with a significant public relations crisis.
Stealth Campaigns and Allegations of Worker Exploitation
Leading up to Monday's event, the activist organisation Everyone Hates Elon ran a stealthy operation to challenge the significant presence of Jeff and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. This included plastering New York City with posters that slammed Amazon for allegedly mistreating its workforce and assisting US immigration agencies through a massive $140 million (£103.52 million) cloud contract.
Even though Amazon has dismissed these accusations of labour abuse, the pressure from critics only intensified as the night of the gala approached.
Activists troll Jeff Bezos and call for the boycott of The Bezos Met Gala.
— Unplug The Empire (@UnplugTheEmpire) May 5, 2026
Bezos is the main benefactor of the Gala.
Highlighting Amazon's treatment of workers. pic.twitter.com/fke7RoT83A
Those close to the event say that Bezos paid between $10 million (£7.39 million) and $20 million (£14.79 million) in sponsorship fees to secure himself and Sánchez prestigious spots as honorary co-chairs alongside stars like Beyoncé and Anna Wintour.
Concerns Over Wealth and Artistic Integrity
Although Wintour described Sánchez as a 'wonderful asset', many people feel the pair simply purchased their status within the fashion hierarchy. This change in leadership has only strengthened the idea that the gala now cares more about big cheques than it does about creative talent.
The fallout led several famous faces to withdraw their support, with rumours circulating that Meryl Streep turned down a position as co-chair because she was uneasy about the level of influence held by the Bezoses. At the same time, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told Hell Gate that he planned to miss the festivities to focus on 'affordability and making the most expensive city in the United States affordable.' He added, 'That's what I'm looking to spend a lot of my time focused on.'
Political Ties and Controversial Federal Contracts
A significant portion of the outcry regarding the 2026 Met Gala stems from the level of control the Bezoses held as both the main financial backers and honorary co-chairs. Beyond the sponsorship, many in the fashion world and the general public have expressed concern over Amazon's professional links to Donald Trump's administration.
Ahead of the gala, The New York Times noted that posters appeared all over the city calling for a boycott because of how Amazon treats its warehouse staff and its reported dealings with ICE. Even though Amazon has come out and denied these claims of worker abuse, the movement managed to keep the pressure on right up until the doors opened on Monday.
Some of the signs appearing across the city directly attacked the event's sponsorship, with one stating, 'The Bezos Met Gala: Brought to you by worker exploitation.' Another flyer made a similarly pointed claim, telling passersby that the 2026 ceremony was 'brought to you by the firm that powers ICE.'
Silence From Amazon on Reported Figures
Earlier this year, Forbes reported that federal agencies, including ICE and CBP, spent $140 million (£103.52 million) on cloud technology from Amazon and Microsoft throughout 2025. While these figures have drawn significant attention from critics of the Met Gala's sponsorship, Amazon has stayed silent and offered no comment on the reported data.
It is worth pointing out that Jeff Bezos previously held an honorary co-chair position at the Met Gala back in 2012. At that time, his participation caused much less of a stir than it did during this year's event.
