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Are Celebrity Kids Allowed to Attend the 2021 Met Gala? A Breakdown of the Age Restrictions
The annual Met Gala would be the perfect place to watch Hollywood stars walk the red carpet with their kids. So why don’t we ever see celebrities bringing their children along as dates? Well, the answer is simple: The glamorous and highly anticipated event only allows attendees over the age of 18.
This may come as surprise to Met Gala fans considering the prestigious event was once a place for famous kids to party like the adults. It wasn’t until after the 2017 celebration that the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute banned attendees under the age of 18.
Following the event, organizers of the lavish gala — chaired by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour — confirmed on the official website that going forward, those under 18 years old would be unable to attend the Met Gala. “It’s not an appropriate event for people under 18,” an event coordinator explained to The Hollywood Reporter in May 2018.
Although there was no exact reason why the ban was put into place, many assumed The Costume Institute cracked down after Elle Fanning was photographed toasting with a beverage that looked like a glass of white wine during the ball in 2017. Organizers received a ton of backlash as the Maleficent actress was only 19 years old at the time.
Although it caused quite the controversy, her representative insisted to Daily Mail that she wasn’t drinking any type of alcohol while participating in the toast. “Elle did NOT drink alcohol at the Met Gala,” read an email sent to the outlet. “The glasses were at the table before everyone was seated and she only participated in a toast.”
Before the age limit was instituted, tons of celebrity kids have hit the Met Gala red carpets with their parents. In 2016, Will Smith‘s children Jaden Smith and Willow Smith attended the event when they were just 17 and 15, respectively. One year later, Sylvester Stallone‘s daughter Sistine Stallone strutted her stuff in a sparkly silver gown at the age of 18.
Although the organizers of the prestigious event take the age limit seriously, there is one loophole: A minor can attend if their parents are in attendance or invited, according to E! News.
It’s unclear whether or not any kiddos will be in attendance at this year’s Met Gala, which is taking place on September 13 — the first time in history the event hasn’t been held the first week of May. Though the Met Gala is going to run a little different this year amid COVID-19, there’s no doubt Hollywood’s hottest are going to bring their fashion A-game.
Be sure to stay tuned to see if any kids show up this year for the gala’s theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion!”
