Beyoncé had not attended the Met Gala since 2016, but Anna Wintour and Vogue got her back to what is known as “fashion’s biggest night” by naming her a co-chair and seemingly bending at least one of the event’s rules.
The Grammy winner walked the green carpet with husband Jay-Z and their 14-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The problem? The teen is a whopping four years younger than the gala’s 18-and-older policy for attendees.
On Friday’s show, Megyn was joined by Maureen Callahan, host of MK Media’s The Nerve, to discuss the flagrant flouting of the rules.
Causing a Scene
Blue Ivy made her Met Gala debut at the “Fashion Is Art”-themed event in an ivory, bubble-hem strapless gown by Balenciaga that she accessorized with a cropped bomber jacket, diamond necklace, and sunglasses. The tween was also sporting a smirk as she posed for pictures solo and with her famous parents on the carpet.
The Vogue staffers hosting the evening’s livestream couldn’t contain their enthusiasm when the Carter family arrived. “I love that Blue is, like, in this ‘I own everything’ mode,” one gushed, while another said the “mommy-daughter duo” was “warming my mommy heart.”
Megyn, however, was less moved. “Her parents are Beyoncé and Jay-Z. She literally does own everything and, therefore, it’s not a virtue for her to be telegraphing with her body language that she’s king of the world. She was born into it,” she noted. “In fact, what would be laudable would be some humility and, possibly, something approaching a demure projection. But she’s not capable of that.”
That inability, in her view, is the fault of her parents. “All they’ve done for her since she was born is try to make her an independent clicks generator,” Megyn explained. “From the day she was born, my team reminded me, her dad, Jay-Z, released a song ‘Glory,’ which earned her a Guinness World Record for being the youngest person to have an entry on a Billboard chart; Time dubbed her the most famous baby in the world; [Blue Ivy] made her feature film debut in 2024 in Mufasa… as a voice actress; she’s also been one of Beyoncé’s backup dancers.”
“It’s a lot, what they are doing to their daughter,” Megyn added. “And it’s not the daughter’s fault, it’s their fault.”
At the tender age of 14, Megyn said Blue Ivy seems to be parents’ latest project. “I think what [Jay-Z] is great at is marketing,” she noted. “He runs a marketing machine and first unleashed it on Beyoncé to make her ‘Queen Bey’… and now they’re doing it to their own child. And this Met Gala appearance was part of it.”
The Age Issue
In the case of the Met Gala, getting Blue Ivy onto the red carpet and into the Metropolitan Museum of Art required breaking the rule that stipulates guests must be at least 18 years old.
Back in 2018, organizers confirmed there was an age restriction after then-15-year-old actress and dancer Maddie Ziegler told The Hollywood Reporter she wasn’t attending the gala because “I’m not old enough.” The outlet was told the decision stemmed from the fact that “it’s not an appropriate event for people under 18.”
Megyn said she can confirm that is accurate from first-hand experience. She attended the Met Gala with her husband Doug in 2016 and 2017 and saw things they can’t unsee, including “dry humping” and cigarette smoking in the women’s bathroom and some high-profile Silicon Valley-types “snorting cocaine” in the men’s room.
“In terms of what actually goes on inside that thing, who, in their right mind, thinks that that’s someplace for a 14 year old to be,” Callahan wondered.
And then there is the reality of what the presence of a teenager means for the adults in attendance. “For the adults in that room who paid anywhere between $100,000 and $350,000 to be there, they don’t want a kid there either. It’s an adult party where adult things are supposed to be happening,” Callahan noted. “You don’t want to censor yourself or have to watch yourself – especially at that price tag – because Jay-Z and Beyoncé had to bring their little monster that they’re building.”
“And they won’t [censor themselves],” Megyn concluded. “So, she’ll just go to the bathroom and see dry humping and people snorting coke because it’s such a classy event. Can’t you see the class right in front of you?!”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Callahan by tuning in to episode 1,313 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.