Why was Zendaya absent from the Met Gala 2022?

The Met Gala 2022 did not disappoint—from delivering some of the best Met memes we’ve ever seen to some seriously stunning gowns, including Blake Lively’s dress reveal moment and Nicola Coughlan’s Featherington-inspired look. However, it did leave many of us pining for a number of our fave celebs—namely Zendaya, who usually dominates the best-dressed lists. So why was Zendaya absent from the Met Gala 2022?

Zendaya is one of those celebrities who never misses when it comes to award shows and red carpet events—and the Met Gala is no exception. Zendaya’s outfits are everything, remember her light-up Cinderella dress in 2019? It will rightfully go down in history as one of the most memorable Met fashion moments ever. 

Sadly though, she and a number of other notable names like Ariana Grande, Rihanna and Taylor Swift were missing from the night's festivities. This is now the second Gala in a row where we’ve been robbed of seeing Zendaya ascending those iconic steps.

So, why was Zendaya not at the Met Gala 2022?

It seems Zendaya did have a very good excuse for skipping the event. In an interview with Extra, the Euphoria actress pre-warned fans that they would not be seeing her at the fashion soiree. 

She explained: “I'm gonna disappoint my fans here, but I will be working. Your girl's gotta work and make some movies.” 

She then shared a sweet message for those who would be in attendance saying: “I wish everyone the best. I will be playing tennis.”

For those wondering, ‘playing tennis’ is in reference to Z’s upcoming film Challengers, which is a tennis-themed romantic drama—which we are very excited to watch. She will be starring alongside Mike Faist and clearly needs to put in some hours on the court for her role. Fear not though, as she has promised she'll be back at the Gala again, 'eventually.'

Fan reactions to Zendaya’s Met Gala absence  

While we all had time to dry our tears and mentally prepare for her absence, it was still felt across the Twitterverse...

Zendaya’s best Met Gala looks 

Though we didn’t get to see Zendaya’s Met Gala 2022 look—that doesn’t mean we can’t take this opportunity to reminisce over her past offerings…

Met Gala 2019: Zendaya wearing Tommy Hilfiger

This dress moment left everyone speechless, as not only did Zendaya 'lose' her glass slipper on the stairs, but the dress also lit up at the wave of a wand. Magical!

Met Gala 2018: Zendaya wearing Versace

This full-on armored dress has got to be up there with one of our favorite ever Met looks and sorry, Zendaya with ginger hair is everything!

Met Gala 2017: Zendaya in Dolce and Gabbana

The colorful dress, the hair, everything was just on point.

Met Gala 2016: Zendaya's Michael Kors look

Zendaya proved that she can pull off literally anything —even a bowl cut.

Met Gala 2015: Zendaya wearing Fausto Puglisi

Her first Met Gala appearance started off strong, thanks to this gorgeous Fausto Puglisi gown. 

Fingers crossed she makes her comeback for the 2023 Met Gala!