Hailey was noticeably absent from the 2023 fashion event after attending last year in a white Saint Laurent gown, sans husband Justin Bieber. The Rhode Skin founder hasn't publicly revealed why she skipped the red carpet this year, but a Cosmopolitan report suggested (via an unverified screenshot of an Instagram DM) that it may have something to do with a new beauty launch Hailey's working on.
Last month, Hailey opened up about what a hard year she's had in an Instagram Story, writing in one post that she's had some of her "saddest, hardest moments" of adulthood in 2023, so her Met Gala absence may not come as a surprise. She was also recently involved in a fan-fuelled feud with Selena Gomez, her husband's ex, that started back in February. It ended roughly a month later after Gomez told her fans via Instagram to stop bullying Hailey, which the latter publicly thanked her for.