The REAL reason Selena Gomez chose to skip the 2024 MET Gala for the sixth year in a row – with boyfriend Benny Bl – Daily Mail

Selena Gomez was notably absent from the 2024 MET Gala in New York on Monday – with her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, also not in attendance at the big night.

However, a source recently confirmed to People on Tuesday that the Single Soon singer, 31, was simply “busy working.”

While spending time in the Big Apple, Gomez – who has “talked about marriage and kids” with Blanco – is filming the fourth season of Hulu’s Only Murders In The Building.

She has also been focusing on her own brand, Rare Beauty, including attending Rare Beauty’s 3rd Annual Mental Health Summit earlier this month on May 1st.

The record producer, 36, has also been going through a busy schedule and recently joined Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

The Eastside hitmaker also celebrated the launch of her own cookbook titled Open Wide: A Cookbook For Friends — which officially became available on April 30, just six days before the MET Gala.

Selena last attended the annual festivities which take place on the first Monday of May 2018.

At the time, the theme chosen for the guests was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”.

The former Disney Channel star donned an off-white dress that contained a sheer, flowy skirt as well as a bedazzled bodice.

However, during a chat with Glamor UK in 2022, she called her look and tan a “memorable” beauty accident.

“As I was getting ready for the Met Gala a few years ago, we put on a little tanning lotion and it looked beautiful, but as the night went on it got darker and darker,” recalls -she at the store.

‘When I sat down [inside the event], I saw a photo of myself, and it looked completely orange. And here I am at this prestigious event. My first thought was, “I have to get out of here!” »

She also told Vogue: “I look at a picture of myself when I sit down and I’m completely orange. I was like, ‘This is going to be terrible because I’m going to get eaten alive because of this.’

In addition to attending the MET Gala in 2018, she has appeared on four other occasions, including in 2014, 2015, 2016 and in 2017 with her ex, The Weeknd.

Gomez wasn’t the only A-list celebrity to pull out of the MET Gala on Monday, with other stars including Khloe Kardashian, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Rihanna and Taylor Swift not seen on the red carpet.

The Gossip Girl alum and her husband opted to stay home with their family instead, with a source telling Elle that “the couple opted to spend the night at home rather than on the red carpet.”

Swift also devastated fans when she failed to make an appearance for the eighth year in a row.

Last month in April, it was announced that Bad Blood singer and boyfriend Travis Kelce would not be attending the MET Gala.

And the real reason Taylor and Kelce wouldn’t be in attendance turned out to be Swift’s conflicting dates for the Eras Tour which kicks off in France on May 9.

But speculation arose shortly before the event when Anna Wintour sat down for an interview with Today host Jenna Bush Hager to talk about the festivities.

Jenna revealed Anna’s rather cryptic response to whether or not Taylor Swift was there.

“I also had to ask, because Mila Hager asked if Taylor would be there, and she (Anna) said, ‘I hope she comes and enjoys the exhibit,'” she said, making reference to his daughter.

Rihanna also had to skip the event because she was “sick with the flu,” a source revealed to People.

While busy with Only Murders In The Building and her Rare Beauty brand – which recently raised $7 million for charity – she’s also preparing for the release of her new spin-off series, Selena + Restaurant.

The star let out a bit of “anger” while crushing blackberry caviar in a clip from the upcoming show that was shared with People on Tuesday.

In the video, the actress and her friend Raquelle Stevens trained under Hollywood restaurant Lemon Grove’s chef Marcel Vigneron and learned how to make a dessert inspired by “the full moon.”

The Disney Channel alum was tasked with breaking up blackberries that had been frozen with liquid nitrogen and said she would “express a little anger” by breaking the fruit.

Gomez was then given a meat pestle, and after asking if she could “crush” the blackberries, Vigneron explained to her how to extract “individual cells” from each fruit.

Although the singer seemed slightly carried away while mashing the blackberries, Vigneron said she “looked pretty good” when she helped prepare the dish.

Her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, also has a passion for food and published his cookbook, Open Wide: A Cookbook For Friends.

A source recently told Us Weekly that the couple – who were confirmed to be dating in December 2023 – had “talked about marriage and having kids.”

The insider added that the beauty is “ready to settle down” and added that Selena thinks she “found the love of her life” in Blanco.

“He makes her feel safe and happy. They both think they’ve found the person they’ll be with forever.

“She really sees this relationship going the distance,” the source said, adding that her “friends and family” are very supportive of the relationship.

“They’ve talked about marriage and having kids and are very much on the same page.”