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Today in Focus

Why the Bezos-backed Met Gala is so controversial – The Latest

Today in Focus

The Guardian

News, Daily News

4.65.9K Ratings

🗓️ 4 May 2026

⏱️ 11 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It’s the grandest and glitziest event in the fashion calendar, but this year’s Met Gala has sparked backlash thanks to its new honorary chairs, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos. The billionaire Amazon founder’s involvement has led to boycotts and criticism of the event. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s fashion and lifestyle editor, Morwenna Ferrier – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is The Guardian.

0:11.0

The Met Gala. It's got a lot to do with fashion, but it is also about who's got the power.

0:15.9

You know, it's a grotesque pageant, a sort of a striking representation of the way that which we call

0:20.1

co-ops, arts and sport and culture.

0:22.4

And at the moment, the big tech has the money.

0:25.7

Tomorrow is one of fashion's most glamorous nights, the annual Met Gala in New York City.

0:31.1

This year, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, are the lead

0:36.1

sponsors and honorary chairs.

0:38.2

The thing about Jeff Bezos is that he's definitely not known for his start.

0:41.4

And I would say Lauren Sanchez is not particularly known for her start either.

0:43.7

In the last sort of nine months or so, there have also been rumors that Bezos is possibly

0:49.7

plans to buy Condonast, the sort of crossover between ethics and the netball is not the obvious one.

0:56.3

Tonight's glitzy Met Gala in New York will be co-chaired by Jeff Bezos during condemnation

1:02.4

and calls for a boycott. Why has Anna Wintour turned the fashion gala into a tech bro ball?

1:08.7

From the Guardians today in focus, this is the latest with me, Lucy Hart.

1:14.8

Well, I'm joined by Morena Ferry, the Guardian's fashion and lifestyle editor.

1:18.6

Thanks so much for dialing in, Moena.

1:20.2

No problem.

1:20.9

So this evening there is this hotly anticipated.

1:24.3

And it's like this blockbuster moment in the fashion calendar, isn't it? The Met Gala in New York,

1:29.3

which is hosted by Anna Wintel, formerly there to have Vogue now in a sort of oversight role at Condonast,

1:36.8

the publishing company. But this year's Gala is drawing controversy for the sponsorship and attendance of Jeff Bezos and his wife,

...

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