Selma Blair Plans Met Gala Return After 20-Year Absence
Selma Blair says she will return to the Met Gala one day, ending a two-decade stretch away from fashion’s biggest first Monday in May. The actress made the comment on Friday, May 1, while reflecting on the shows and designers that brought her there in the first place.
“I used to be a big Met Gala attendee,” Blair said, adding, “I haven’t attended in many years, but I have wonderful memories of it.” Her remarks point to a long gap, not a closed door: she placed her last appearances at “probably 20 years ago” and said, “One day I will be back at the Met, because I love fashion.”
Behnaz Sarafpour to Marc Jacobs
Blair traced her Met Gala history through a short list of designers: “My first time was with Behnaz Sarafpour, then I went a couple years with Chanel and more recently, I think, with Marc Jacobs — but that was probably 20 years ago.” She also said, “I love wardrobes. And it is a passion of mine, so I really appreciate what they do and I think it’s an amazing event.”
That mix of memory and intent is the real takeaway for the 2026 Met Gala, scheduled for Monday, May 4, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The event’s cochairs are Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour, and Blair’s comments put her back in the conversation as a possible returnee rather than a former regular.
MS and brain health
Blair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in October 2018, and she has been public about the condition ever since. In November 2025, she said she had been relapse free for years, that she was not accumulating more damage in her brain at that moment, and that she had made “a lot of strides with the vibe of neuroplasticity.”
On Friday, she also said, “I think now is a totally great new time for research and cures and with AI and with the amazing scientists the American Brain Foundation has,” while describing her role as a global ambassador and national chair of brain health advancement for the organization. She added, “I’m so proud to be aligned with them, and especially with someone that has some neurological issues and loving so many people that have had ALS.”
Wardrobe fitting to advocacy
Blair’s fashion talk lands differently because she has tied clothing to mobility and work before. In October 2018, she wrote that she was in a wardrobe fitting “two days ago” before revealing her diagnosis on Instagram, and she later described how the costumer Allisaswanson helps her get dressed on the Netflix show Harper Glass.
That makes her Met Gala return less like nostalgia and more like a public marker of continuity: she still sees fashion as part of her life, even as her health advocacy has become part of her public identity. If she does show up again, the outfit will matter — but so will the fact that she is returning on her own timeline.
