The Met Gala 2026 was undeniably a muted affair without Zendaya's presence. The first Monday in May marked the annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where A-list stars were expected to gather, and yet, the 29-year-old's absence left fans disheartened.
The 'Euphoria' star, a regular fixture at the event, was nowhere to be found at the "Costume Art"-themed soiree on May 4. So, what prompted this year's Met Gala skip?
Law Roach, Zendaya's stylist, offered a simple yet cryptic reason to Zuri Hall during Life From E!: Met Gala 2026. "She's busy," he said, without elaborating on the TV or film projects that might be keeping the Emmy winner preoccupied. However, he did share his reflections on Zendaya's undeniable impact on the Met Gala fashion scene during an exclusive interview.
"Our looks have been special," he said, "but what I've seen a lot of this weekend is the Cinderella look." He recalled Zendaya's 2019 Met Gala appearance, which marked her departure from a Disney image and transition into a womanhood. "That would always be special to me," he added.
Law had more free time this year since the preparations for his clients usually take nearly half a year. "It all starts with what the designer says the client is going with," he shared on Reddit April 30. "Once that's figured out, we just have a conversation about inspiration, and then I take it back to my team."
He then shares his team's vision with the fashion brand, which creates a design based on their "house codes" as well as the client's personal style. "Then we bring the client in," Law said. "I always like to start with the client because they're the one who wears the look at the end of it, so always get feedback from your client."
While Zendaya always goes all out for the Met Gala, her red carpet dressing has looked a bit different lately. She embraced a "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue" theme for her fashion while promoting her wedding film 'The Drama' alongside Robert Pattinson earlier this year.
Of course, she recently had her own trip down the aisle in real life when Law revealed in March that she had privately married Tom Holland. And their family has shown the 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' costars nothing but love, with Tom's mother Nikki Holland subtly sharing her support for the couple last month.
The photographer tapped like on an Instagram reel that praised how Zendaya and Robert carried themselves during the press tour for 'The Drama.' "Everyone else acting a little too single while promoting their romance movies," read the caption, before the video cut to several shots of 'The Drama' costars playfully joking with one another. It continued, "Meanwhile, Zendaya and Robert proving you can still vibe without disrespecting your partner."
Indeed, Zendaya finds creative ways to honor Tom. For example, when she stepped out at the April 7 Los Angeles premiere of 'Euphoria,' her "T" tattoo was on full display. The sweet nod is just one of many Tom and Zendaya—who confirmed their engagement in January 2025—have exchanged over the years, especially once Zendaya realized that Tom was the one for her.
"I think sometimes, at least in my personal experience, I found that sometimes people can get nervous around people," the 'Challengers' star told New York Times' Modern Love podcast on April 1. "But there's a certain feeling that I was able to experience when I knew this is my person because I didn't feel nervous. I felt really peaceful and calm." She continued, "I actually feel more nervous when I'm away from you than when I'm with you. And that's when I was like, 'Ah, that's a good sign, that's me listening to intuition.'"
And Zendaya knew early on that Tom had a calming effect on her. She recalled their 2017 chemistry read for 'Spider-Man: Homecoming,' during which he helped her feel more comfortable "by being a nice person." "Having to do a chemistry read for a big movie like that—it’s like you really want the job and all these kind of things," she said. "And yeah, he was really lovely then."
