Bella Hadid joins backlash over Jeff Bezos-backed Met Gala event

Bella Hadid has added to the growing online criticism surrounding this year’s Met Gala after reportedly liking a social media post attacking the event’s sponsorship by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.

According to reports ahead of the May 4 fundraiser in New York, Hadid interacted with an Instagram video calling out celebrities expected to attend the annual fashion spectacle. 

The video criticised stars who may wear symbolic activist pins while appearing at what it described as the “Jeff Bezos-backed Met Gala,” accusing the Amazon founder of contributing to broader political and labour controversies.

The Met Gala, organised by Vogue in support of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, is one of fashion’s biggest annual events. 

But this year’s edition has sparked backlash after Bezos and Sánchez were announced among its lead sponsors and honorary chairs.

Much of the criticism has focused on Amazon’s labour practices and Bezos’ political associations. 

Activist group Everyone Hates Elon has amplified the backlash with posters across New York branding the gala “The Bezos Met Gala” and linking it to worker exploitation.

Fashion journalist Amy Odell also weighed in, arguing that the once-exclusive fashion industry gathering has increasingly become “a clout store for the richest people on the planet.”

Reports that celebrities including Zendaya and Meryl Streep may skip the event have further fueled online debate, though no official reasons have been confirmed.