On Monday night, the annual Met Gala took place in New York City, and while many were waiting to see what celebrities like Rihanna and Beyoncé would be wearing, it was A$AP Rocky who made the headlines. The rapper was seen hopping over a barricade to get into the Carlyle Hotel ahead of the fashion event, a video posted to Twitter purportedly showed.
The video was posted by HuffPost senior editor Philip Lewis, and it showed A$AP Rocky appearing to push past a group of people and jump over a barrier outside the hotel.
Once he got onto the hotel’s red carpet, someone in the crowd handed him a duffle bag, as the video seemed to show.
A$AP Rocky’s representatives did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment on the video, which has 1.3 million views at the time of writing.
Shortly after the footage went viral, the woman whose face A$AP Rocky appeared to palm in the video revealed herself on Twitter to be 21-year-old Madelyn Llanes from Long Island, New York. She wrote that she wasn’t offended by the rapper’s behavior and that he didn’t hurt her.
“ASAP Rocky just literally jumped over me,” she tweeted alongside a selfie with her glasses slightly askew.
Llanes later spoke to The Independent about the incident.
“I had felt someone tapping my shoulder, so I turned around and saw that it was him but my brain didn’t fully comprehend that it was him,” she said.
Llanes said Rocky then told her, “Sweetheart, I need to get through.” She said she told him no, but he did not care.
“He just pushed his way up and then hopped over and grabbed me and the guy next to me as he did,” she said. “After he hopped over, he was like ‘thank you’ and then just laughed and flipped me off and then he went inside and that’s when I fully realized it was him.”
Some people online felt sorry for the Llanes. One wrote: “He put all his weight on that poor woman!” Another user made light of the situation, tweeting: “The power of celebrity is using someone’s face as a springboard and them looking at you in awe over it lol.”
One person who claimed to be in attendance captured a different perspective of A$AP Rocky’s jump. The user was surprised by how close the rapper was to them.
This is not the first time A$AP Rocky has made headlines for his actions at the Met Gala. In 2019, he walked the red carpet with a giant blanket that looked like a duvet cover, which many people found amusing. He has also been known for his stylish outfits at the annual event.
The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. It has been held since 1948 and is considered one of the biggest nights in the fashion industry. Each year, the event has a theme, and this year’s theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”
The event was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it returned this year with various safety protocols in place. All attendees were required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result, and the event was held outdoors to reduce the risk of transmission.
A$AP Rocky wasn’t the only one who caused a stir at this year’s event. Kim Kardashian also turned heads with her outfit, which covered her entire body, including her face. The outfit was designed by Balenciaga and included a black face covering and a long black dress with a train.
Other notable attendees included Billie Eilish, who wore a peach-colored gown with a long train, and actor Timothée Chalamet, who wore a white Haider Ackermann suit with black lapels and Converse sneakers.
Despite the various safety protocols in place, the Met Gala has been criticized by some for being tone-deaf during the pandemic. The event, which is known for its opulence and extravagance, has been described as a symbol of excess during a time when many people are struggling.
Overall, this year’s Met Gala was a star-studded event that drew attention from around the world. While A$AP Rocky’s antics may have stolen the show in the early hours, the event was ultimately a celebration of fashion and creativity, with many attendees using their outfits to make a statement about American culture and identity.
The Carlyle is a popular hotel among celebrities attending the Met Gala, according to Cosmopolitan. It’s where many Met Gala attendees will unveil their looks for the event before arriving at the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art, the venue for the famous Costume Institute gala.
The Manhattan hotel has also been a favorite with royals Princess Diana, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle.