Playboi Carti says he didn’t get to make his mark at this year’s Met Gala—and not by choice. The enigmatic ATL rapper took to Instagram with a bold claim: he was banned from the high-profile fashion event, comparing the alleged snub to getting kicked out of prom.
“MET GALA BANNED ME FELT LIKE WE GOT KICKED OUT OF PROM BUT WE GOOD [GIO] WITH ME IM A HAPPY MAN FuCK EM,” Carti wrote in an Instagram Story, leaving fans both confused and curious about what might’ve led to his exclusion.
Carti didn’t provide any further context or explanation behind the ban, but the situation raised eyebrows, especially since his longtime collaborator and friend A$AP Rocky was one of this year’s official co-chairs of the event. Their history of pushing fashion boundaries and showing up to elite events together made Carti’s absence feel even more noticeable to fans.
The Met Gala, organized annually by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, is known for being as exclusive as it gets, blending high fashion with celebrity culture. Invitations are notoriously hard to come by, and Wintour reportedly holds the final say on who gets to walk the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. So far, there’s been no official comment from Vogue or event organizers regarding Carti’s claims.
If Carti truly was banned, he joins a rare club of blacklisted individuals that includes polarizing figures like Donald Trump. For someone like Carti, who has become a style icon in his own right with his punk rock aesthetic, gender-fluid fashion choices, and avant-garde performances, being sidelined from fashion’s biggest night comes as an unexpected twist.
Still, in true Carti fashion, he seemed unbothered, brushing it off and affirming that he’s in a good place—despite the high-profile snub. For fans of Hip Hop and fashion alike, it’s just another chapter in the unpredictable legacy of one of rap’s most compelling and controversial figures.