Fans Say Rihanna Is the 'Winner' of the Met Gala, But She Wasn't Even There—Here's Why

Rihanna

A photo of Rihanna from the Met Gala is circulating online, but the Queen of the event wasn't even in attendance.

Year after year, the "Diamonds" hitmaker stuns in perfectly themed ensembles that hit it out of the park for the annual event, turning heads as she makes her (usually fashionably late) appearance on the red carpet.

But unfortunately, this year was different, as the mom of two never showed up. Still, that didn't stop fans from creating an AI image of what her interpretation of the theme may have been. Alongside it, an AI photo of Katy Perry, who was also not in attendance.

For the 2024 function, held traditionally on the first Monday of May at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rihanna was nowhere in sight, as fans and viewers of the high profile function awaited her arrival.

According to People, who received intel from a source, the reason she skipped out on the outing is due to an illness—it seems she is feeling under the weather after coming down with the flu.

The Bajan billionaire had previously teased her ensemble during a Fenty Beauty event in April, saying she planned to keep it "very simple."

Related: Fans Are 'a Little Scared' After Seeing Zendaya's 2024 Met Gala Look

The Met Gala—also called the Costume Institute Gala or the Costume Institute Benefit and also known as the Met Ball—is an annual charity event and fundraiser for The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

The event's theme was "The Garden of Time," and the dress code was inspired by the 2024 Costume Institute exhibit, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," which will open on May 10 and features 250 items from the department's permanent collection.

While Rihanna was one of the event's cohosts in 2018, this year's lineup included Zendaya, who sported two different looks, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth, and Bad Bunny.

Related: Check Out the Bold and Beautiful 2024 Met Gala Red Carpet Fashions