Anna Wintour has responded to the backlash surrounding Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez, sponsoring the upcoming Met Gala — and is defending their involvement.
“I think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event,” Wintour told CNN on Monday. “I’m very grateful for her incredible generosity, and she’s a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion, so we’re thrilled she’s part of the night.”
Wintour stepped down as Vogue’s editor-in-chief earlier this year, but continues to organize the Met Gala as Condé Nast’s chief content officer.
The Met announced this year’s theme, “Costume Art,” and the gala’s sponsors on Instagram last week. The revelation that one of the world’s richest men and his wife would be partnering with the event triggered swift criticism online.
“Billionaires propping up other billionaires for their fancy party,” one person commented on Instagram.
The Met Gala is the main fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, which depends heavily on large donors and corporate sponsorships. Major fashion houses have typically funded the event — Louis Vuitton, for example, sponsored last year’s edition.
Bezos and Sanchez made their debut as a couple at the 2024 gala and skipped the 2025 festivities to focus on their wedding.