Halsey Explains Why She Wasn’t at the 2021 Met Gala
The Met Gala was held on Sept. 13 this year, and it was an exciting night full of fun and fashionable outfits. But some faces were noticeably missing from the event. Zendaya, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kylie Jenner, Bella Hadid, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande were among the celebrities who usually attend but skipped the fashion world’s biggest night this year.
Halsey was also missing from the Met Gala, and they revealed the reason on social media. Here’s what she had to say and how fans responded.
Halsey gave birth to her first child in July
Halsey had her first child, a baby boy named Ender Ridley, earlier this year on July 14, 2021. The baby’s father is her partner Alev Aydin, a screenwriter Halsey met while working on a film about her life.
Halsey, who uses the pronouns she/they, has been open in the past about having several miscarriages. They have also said that they want to be a parent more than anything.
She announced the baby’s birth on Instagram with a couple of black and white photos. The first depicts Halsey holding the baby with their partner Aydin, and they appear to be in a hospital. The second is a close-up of the baby breastfeeding with his face partially obscured. The pop star captioned the photos, “Gratitude. For the most ‘rare’ and euphoric birth. Powered by love.”
Halsey’s most recent album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, came out in August, just over a month after her baby was born.
The album, Halsey previously said, is “about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth.”
“It was very important to me that the cover art conveyed the sentiment of my journey over the past few months,” she shared in an Instagram post while revealing the album’s artwork, which depicts Halsey sitting on a throne with one breast exposed and a baby on their lap.
“The dichotomy of the Madonna and the Whore. The idea that me as a sexual being and my body as a vessel and gift to my child are two concepts that can co-exist peacefully and powerfully,” they explained. “My body has belonged to the world in many different ways the past few years, and this image is my means of reclaiming my autonomy and establishing my pride and strength as a life force for my human being.”
Halsey said she didn’t attend the Met Gala because she’s ‘still breastfeeding’
Some stars stayed silent on why they chose to skip this year’s Met Gala. But Halsey shared her reason with her fans on Twitter.
They explained how they had recently given birth and are still breastfeeding, preventing them from attending the lengthy event.
According to Page Six, the singer wrote in a since-deleted tweet, “I’m still breastfeeding <3 I only had my baby 7 weeks ago. There’s nothing more ‘American fashion’ than moms having to go back to work after just giving birth lol.” They were responding to a fan who was upset by her absence.
“I wouldn’t have had a way to pump my breasts which would have been insanely painful,” she explained. “I understand I’m incredibly privileged to afford time off but the demands are still prevalent and the biology does not excuse me.”
The pop star defended her comments
After her tweet, Twitter users quickly pointed out that Halsey managed to make a public appearance at the end of August. But the singer explained that preparing for and attending the Met Gala was a much more significant time commitment than her other appearance.
“Being out for 3 hours vs 9!!! I’m sorry I don’t know why I have to explain this,” they responded.
“Idk I got leaky hurty boobs, a bloody swollen uterus, and a human being that depends on me as a life force,” she tweeted. “I recognize my privilege every single day and the time it affords me with my baby. but like it or not my body is gonna do what it wants. I’m doing my best to juggle it all!”
Twitter users also said Halsey was ignoring her privilege because she could easily afford a babysitter, etc. The pop star pointed out that they were simply commenting on how much society expects of new mothers.
“My only point was people expecting me to be there so soon after having a baby 😥 and how it’s reflective of a more general social expectation of new moms in far more vulnerable positions. I wasn’t complaining at all!!!!”
