Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are the honorary chairs and financial sponsors for the Met Gala on May 4, but that doesn’t mean the fashion world is rolling out the red carpet for them.
The Amazon founder and his wife are being met with a rather chilly reception, especially in a year of economic hardship for many people across the globe. The pushback on billionaires is smacking the couple right in the face as protestors line up the Manhattan streets with signs rejecting the “Amazon Prime Gala” and the “Bezos Ball,” as reported by The New York Times.
More from SheKnows
The charity event, which benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, has been a coveted invite for celebrities for years, but now, Bezos’ participation has him framed at “the villain of the night,” a source told Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack.
There are reports that the couple’s presence might be the headline-generating news of the night, which is exactly what Bezos wants to avoid. “Jeff is a target — politically, socially, and physically. At this point, the smartest move may be for Lauren to pose alone and for Jeff to disappear,” the insider alleged.
For Sánchez, this is her big night on the red carpet — and protestors are not going to stop her. “This is the night she’s spent years dressing for, networking for, and socially climbing toward,” the source noted.
Besides the economic backlash, Bezos’ support of Donald Trump has soured some consumers on the Amazon brand.
“He’s obviously one of the great avatars for, you know, just endless, rapacious accumulation of wealth and exploitation of workers at the expense of the rest of us,” Micah Uetricht, editor of the political magazine, Jacobin, told The New York Times. He described Bezos as “the worst choice possible” as a Met Gala sponsor.
The blatant level of wealth irks many people in the fashion industry because Bezos’ company doesn’t have a great history when it comes to workers’ rights.
“If there is that money to sponsor this gala, there should also be money to pay the workers fairly,” fashion designer Cindy Castro told CNN.
Bezos and Sánchez have become fixtures in the front row at fashion week across the globe, and becoming the central figures of the elite Met Gala seems to indicate that their behind-the-scenes moves paid off.
“They like expensive things,” journalist Amy Odell said of Bezos and Sánchez to The Wall Street Journal. “And fashion has never been more expensive.”
More on Jeff Bezos & Lauren Sánchez:
Before you go, click here for a look back at the Trump family’s many years attending the Met Gala.
Donald Trump, Melania Trump Met Gala
Best of SheKnows
Sign up for SheKnows’ Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.