Why Ben Affleck and More Stars Skipped the Met Gala With Their Partners

Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck were just some of the men in Hollywood who let their partners steal the show at the 2024 Met Gala.

As Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lopez and other stars arrived at New York City’s  Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, May 6, for the opening of the Costume Institute’s “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” exhibit, some viewers were left wondering why some celebs didn’t have their plus one by their side.

Before fans speculate about a fashion emergency or even some trouble in paradise, many stars had a perfectly good reason for missing out on the night.

After Brooklyn Peltz Beckham faced questions about where his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham, was, he confirmed on social media that she was simply enjoying family time.

“Missing my beautiful wife tonight as my date, but happy she’s with Naunni,” Brooklyn, 25, wrote via his Instagram Story when calling out Nicola’s grandmother. “Can’t wait to see you both tomorrow baby.”

During the event, Brooklyn also told reporters he was “missing” his wife but jokingly added, “Guess I’ll have to settle for all these beautiful celebrities instead.”

As attendees recover from their night of fabulous fashion and unforgettable afterparties, Us Weekly is investigating where a few more supportive partners were during the night.

Ben Affleck

It was a big night for Lopez, 54, who served as one of the co-chairs for the 2024 Met Gala. While she sparkled and shined in a Schiaparelli dress, her husband was noticeably absent from the red carpet. A rep for the actor later confirmed to People that Affleck, 51, was busy filming his latest project, The Accountant 2, in Los Angeles.

Justin Timberlake

As Biel, 42, turned heads in a stunning bright pink Tamara Ralph gown adorned with thousands of petals — a perfect homage to “The Garden of Time” dress code — some fans were hoping Timberlake would be by her side. The “Suit and Tie” singer, however, is currently on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour and had a performance in San Jose, California.

Timothée Chalamet

Although pop culture fans were hoping Chalamet, 28, would make his red carpet debut with Kylie Jenner, the Dune star missed out on the event and let his girlfriend shine on her own. While the exact reason for his absence is unknown, the actor has been hard at work filming the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown. He also told GQ in October 2023 that he was “trying to live a private life.”

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Austin Butler 

As Kaia Gerber stepped out in a strapless, floor-length Prada gown for the Met Gala, her boyfriend was missing from the red carpet. Instead, Butler, 32, was spotted in Los Angeles over the weekend attending a For Your Consideration event for Apple TV+’s series Masters of the Air.

Tom Holland

Between serving as one of the event’s co-chairs and showcasing two fabulous looks, Zendaya certainly proved to be a fashion force at this year’s Met Gala. Her longtime boyfriend, however, was not in attendance for the special event. Instead, Holland, 27, showed his support on social media by posting a photo of Zendaya’s red carpet looks with three smiling face with heart-eyes emojis as the caption.

Bradley Cooper 

Gigi Hadid chose not to make her red carpet debut with Cooper, 49, at the 2024 Met Gala. Instead, the model enjoyed her night with friends while wearing a white off-the-shoulder Thom Browne gown for the night’s “The Garden of Time” dress code. Cooper was last seen in Philadelphia on May 2, when he attended a New York Knicks basketball game.

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