Timothée Chalamet Decided to Ditch the Met Gala for a Reason Sports Fans Would Understand
Ball is life.
Published May 5 2026, 10:47 a.m. ET
The first Monday in May has come and gone. The night signifies one of the biggest nights in fashion: the coveted Met Gala. Fashion lovers and fans alike look to social media and beyond to see their favorite celebrities grace the carpet and discuss their looks.
With Costume Art as the theme and the Fashion Is Art dress code set, expectations were high, and some of our faves showed up and showed out. While Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Blue Ivy made it a family affair, celebs like Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Anok Yai, Naomi Osaka, and more left fashion lovers in awe.
And while Kylie Jenner was in attendance, fans immediately noticed that her main squeeze, Timothée Chalamet, was not by her side. And, of course, his absence didn’t go unnoticed on social media, with fan theories hitting the internet. And naturally, many people believed that he ditched the lavish event in favor of a more casual setting.
Why didn’t Timothée Chalamet attend the Met Gala?
It’s simple: Ball is life. As Kylie strutted on the Met Gala red carpet wearing a risque ensemble, her other half was busy cheering on his beloved basketball team: the New York Knicks.
In case you didn’t know, Timothée is a huge Knicks fan. Over the years, the actor has been a courtside staple, cheering on the team and forming friendships with some players, including Karl Anthony Towns.
In a May 4 Instagram Stories post, via E! News, Timothée posted that he was at Madison Square Garden cheering on the home team for Game 1 of the semi-finals against the Philadelphia 76ers.
And while some folks believe that attending the Met Gala is more important, getting the opportunity to see the Knicks make history is a no-brainer.
The New York Knicks sealed the deal with a Game 1 win.
It appears that Timothée made a wise choice in ditching the Met Gala for the Knicks game. Not only did the team do well in Game 1, but the game ended with a blowout.
The final score of 137-98 made a statement to the league and to fans like Timothée. It’s a blessing for the team to reach the second round, but the job is not done yet. Starting off with a bang suggests the Knicks are not going to make this series easy.
Game 2 is set for Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, and fans anticipate Timothée to attend. However, since the Met Gala has now come and gone, fans also believe that Kylie will be courtside with her beau.
Aside from the game being a fun date night activity, Kylie would also be supporting Karl, who is engaged to Jordyn Woods. The ladies have been able to reestablish their friendship after the Tristan Thompson scandal, and the pair has been seen hanging out together. In fact, the ladies and their men were spotted out on a double date in New York City in late April 2026.