The Met Gala is known for many things: celebrities’ insane outfits, men who don’t follow the theme, and some of our favorite looks of all time. However, the Met Gala is also the perfect place to find yourself in some new drama, if you’re a celebrity (or influencer) like Haley Kalil — or @haleyybaylee, if you’re on TikTok.
Haley Kalil, who has 10 million followers on TikTok, is now surrounded by controversy after she posted a TikTok in her Met Gala outfit with a sound that says “Let them eat cake.” The sound — and Haley’s hair — were clearly inspired by Marie Antoinette, who is known for saying “Let them eat cake” regarding the peasants in France who were starving and had no bread.
While it’s most likely that Haley just wanted to use the sound to accompany the iconic Marie Antoinette style, it still caused a bit of chaos. Some Met Gala viewers were quick to point out that as Baley was making and posting this content, people were fleeing Rafah in extreme fear and anxiety due to the ongoing war. Her Campus reached out to Kalil’s team for comment, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
In the U.S., the median household income is $74,580 while tickets for the Met Gala are “around $75,000,” which is more than the median household income. Given the extreme difference in wealth between those who can afford a ticket and those who cannot, the Met Gala has been labeled as “The Capitol,” in reference to the out-of-touch, elite, bourgeoisie in The Hunger Games.
Haley isn’t the first celebrity to come under fire for flaunting extreme wealth during the Met Gala. Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) faced controversy for her “Tax the rich” dress a few years ago, but her fans argued that the dress wasn’t ironic (as only the ultra-rich attend the Met) because AOC hadn’t paid for the dress and she was invited to the event for free.
Haley posted multiple videos from throughout the night like ones of her posing for her team with Bridgerton sounds in the background. Multiple TikTok users commented things like “Welcome to the 76th Hunger Games vibes,” or “Watching from District 12.” Baley also posted videos with other Met Gala attendees like Karlie Kloss, Janelle Monáe, and Tyla.
Although I think we can all agree that Haley probably didn’t mean to take the Marie Antoinette vibes so literally, she definitely didn’t make things easier for herself. One TikTok user commented “Watching from District 9,” and Baley replied with “OMG CRYING,” so the reference may have gone over her head.
The Met Gala traditionally gives off The Hunger Games/ Capitol vibes, but it might not be fair to blame one person, like Haley Kalil, for that. But I will admit, watching all the celebrities walk up the Met Gala steps definitely does remind me of Effie Trinket and her insane outfits.