‘Are you crazy?!’ Anok Yai rebukes The Washington Post’s Met Gala allegation

The Met Gala has been the subject of controversy as of late, but nothing beats the allegation The Washington Post leveled on supermodel Anok Yai. The publication alleged that the supermodel had a bladder incident at the 2024 Met Gala, a claim vehemently denied by Yai.

It’s no secret that Met Gala outfits are huge, some of them so intricate that people often wonder if it’s even possible for celebrities to eat or go to the toilet during the event. Celebrity stylist Mickey Freeman told The Washington Post about an embarrassing story about a model who wore a sheer, mesh jumpsuit with pearls to the event.

Freeman recalled that the jumpsuit had to be sewn in because there had been a malfunction with the zipper. He told the publication that the unnamed model got “swept up in the grandeur and excitement and completely forgot about the zipper situation.” Because of this, the model allegedly tore her outfit and then peed herself in it.

Although Freeman did not name the model, The Washington Post decided to rely on “Detective Google” and concluded that Anok Yai must be the subject of the story. During the 2024 Met Gala, Anok Yai was wearing a bejeweled crystal jumpsuit by Swarovski, styled by Giovanna Englebert. It was a sleek dress that covered Yai with rhinestones from head to toe. It’s an iconic look, but it certainly didn’t look like it had a zipper.

Anok Yai responds to the allegation

But The Washington Post was speculating on the matter. It’s unclear who the model Freeman was talking about, and Yai’s dress had crystals, not pearls. Moreover, Freeman himself didn’t style Anok Yai at the time, making the discussion further moot.

Yai was understandably upset by the speculative article and lashed out on Instagram. She wrote, “I usually stay quiet and keep to myself.” She tagged The Washington Post and Maura Judkis, the writer of the article in her post. “How dare you misalign my character and imply that I ripped my outfit and peed on myself during the Met Gala of 2024! Fact check next time! Are you crazy?!”

Even Freeman was floored by The Washington Post article. The stylist explained on his Instagram story, “As a designer and a stylist, when I talked about the garment, it was all about definitions, just a fundamental glimpse into what could go down at the Met or any major red carpet! I absolutely adore Anok, so let’s not play those games on the internet! She was never part of the story, which is why I found it so absurd when I saw her name!”

Freeman tagged Anok Yai, clarifying that he never worked with her in any capacity. Nevertheless, Freeman did acknowledge the supermodel’s “queen” status—he’s clearly a fan.

A plot to shame a black woman

Social media was equally disgusted by the unsubstantiated article. One commenter wrote that the author “just wanted to humiliate a Black woman.” If the intention was not humiliation, the implication is still damaging to the subject’s reputation.

There could have been many ways to go about this story. The Washington Post could have easily reached out to Yai’s team about the alleged incident. Not that anybody would ever admit to such a humiliating moment, which leads to the second best course of action. Don’t name anyone, because nothing good would come out of it.

(featured images: Anok Yai, Glamour Magazine, and Mickey Freeman)

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]