Here's a riddle for you: Two people walk down a red carpet, but only one comes out the other side. Where are they? If you guessed the Met Gala [1], you get a coconut-ceviche tostada bite with compressed watermelon sushi [2] and a gold star.
Yes, fashion's biggest night is once again upon us, which can only mean one thing: Your favorite celebrity couples are officially treading on thin ice. At least, that's if you believe in the infamous "Met Gala Curse." [3] The argument goes that couples who walk this particular red carpet together will wind up single afterward. While it sounds pretty outlandish, it's true that a look back at old Met Gala red carpets reads like an obituary of power couples of yore, from Kim Kardashian [4] and Pete Davidson to Miley Cyrus [5] and Liam Hemsworth. But is this A-list curse really as powerful as they say?
It's easy to forget that the Met Gala is, at its core, just a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But it's shrouded in many more layers of lore than your typical philanthropic shindig, thanks in part to its long-established no-phones rule. No one aside from the attendees really knows what goes on inside those hallowed halls, forced to glean clues from the occasional delinquent bathroom selfie like a dog licking the scraps off a bone. And while there are plenty of reasons to speculate about why the gala might lead to some romantic turbulence — too much flirting with Timmy Chalamet? Accidentally swiping your partner's double-sided tape? Fighting over who gets to be styled by Law Roach [6]? — no one knows for sure why so many celebrity couples break up in its wake. Maybe it's a coincidence, or maybe someone's spiking the champagne. (We all know Anna Wintour lives for the drama.)
Still, as much as the Met Gala may lead to breakups, we'd be remiss not to mention all the couples who have proudly withstood this greatest test of celebrity relationship strength. Some have used the gala as a relationship hard-launcher or a place to flirt and mingle [7]. And of course there are plenty of romances that have remained intact year after year, gala after gala — from Beyoncé and Jay-Z to Blake Lively [8] and Ryan Reynolds [9]. Below, we've rounded up some of the celebrity couples who have schemed the Met Gala curse to prove their love is stronger than anything — even Rihanna [10]'s neck carrying that bedazzled Pope hat.
Celebrity Couples Who Have Outlasted the Met Gala Curse
Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra
Nick Jonas [11] and Priyanka Chopra attended their first Met Gala together in 2017, before they were even a couple. The two have attended multiple galas since, got married in 2018, and welcomed a daughter in 2022.
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds
While there's still speculation about whether or not they'll be attending this year's festivities, Blake Lively [12] and Ryan Reynolds [13] have been a staple at previous Met Galas, and even served as co-chairs in 2022 alongside other big names including Regina King and Lin-Manuel Miranda [14].
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky
These music royals made their Met Gala debut as a couple in 2021, and returned to the red carpet in 2023, where Rihanna [15] showed off her baby bump just a few months before she gave birth to the couple's second child.
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union
This couple has attended multiple Met Galas together, including last year's, when they wore coordinated mermaid-inspired colors on the red carpet. Their first gala as a couple was in 2015, shortly after their wedding.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z
The 2014 Met Gala is remembered primarily for the elevator slap heard 'round the world, in which Solange Knowles was caught on security footage hitting her sister's husband. Even through all that and more turmoil, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have remained a duo. They've been married since 2008 and share three kids.
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian
Tennis champ Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian attended their first Met Gala together in 2017, during Serena Williams's first pregnancy. The couple welcomed a second child in 2023, and celebrated their 7-year wedding anniversary in November last year.
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman
The Met Gala curse is no match for these stars, who have attended multiple galas and still stayed strong as one of Hollywood's most beloved couples. Married for 19 years this June, it's going to take a lot more than a red carpet and some bathroom selfies to tear these two apart.
Emma Glassman-Hughes [17] (she/her) is the associate editor at PS Balance. In her seven years as a reporter, her beats have spanned the lifestyle spectrum; she's covered arts and culture for The Boston Globe, sex and relationships for Cosmopolitan, and food, climate, and farming for Ambrook Research.