Naomi Campbell Skips the 2025 Met Gala and Remembers Her Friend André Leon Talley

The legendary supermodel, who has previously attended the prestigious event, announced on Instagram that she wouldn’t be attending just hours before it was set to begin.

Naomi Campbell shared on Instagram that she had been invited to the 2025 Met Gala, which honored the theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style." The event kicked off on Monday evening, May 5.

"Congratulations to Anna Wintour, the brilliant designers, the dedicated Met Gala team, and stunning attendees of tonight's extraordinary celebration," she began.

Campbell said this year's theme was chosen in "perfect timing," noting how it celebrated the influence of Black dandyism, and how Black individuals use fashion to "express who they are and claim their power."

"I was so honoured to be invited to tonight's big event, but regretfully cannot make it. Even though I'm not there in person, I'm with you all in spirit, carried by the legacy of my beloved friend, the late André Leon Talley," she continued.

André Leon Talley was an author, stylist, and editor-at-large at Vogue. He worked closely with Campbell and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. The theme for this year's Gala, according to Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton, was inspired by Talley.

Earlier, in April, Wintour shared more insight into this inspiration as she remembered him ahead of the big night. "André was a dandy among dandies and he radiated joy. I'll be thinking of him on the night of the Met Gala, an evening made for him—and one I can scarcely believe he will miss," she wrote.