The Emmy-winning star of Euphoria and Dune, 29, has become a fixture at the annual New York event often dubbed the Oscars of fashion.
But she will not attend the 2026 gala, according to ELLE Magazine - apparently due to a demanding period promoting her latest projects including the third series of Euphoria and her controversial film The Drama.
The Met Gala, held in New York City on Monday night local time (Tuesday morning AEST), is in 2026 being backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, whose involvement has drawn criticism in some quarters.
Zendaya's decision follows her appearance at the 2025 gala, where she wore a white Louis Vuitton suit.
The development comes amid wider unease around the event's sponsorship.
"It's, quite frankly, very hurtful and very disturbing for (the Bezoses) to be the face of this year's Met Gala, something that is really meaningful to a lot of people and to such a highly regarded and highly respected institution," a fashion industry insider told the Daily Mail.
"It feels like a real slap in the face to a lot of people."
Zendaya, who rose to prominence on Shake It Up before transitioning to film roles in Spider-Man: Homecoming and its sequels alongside her partner and rumoured husband Tom Holland, has maintained a busy schedule in recent months.
She was recently seen supporting Tom at an event in California for his alcohol-free beer, amid ongoing public interest in their relationship, with sources saying the pair recently secretly got hitched.
The controversy surrounding the gala has also reportedly affected other high-profile figures.
Meryl Streep was said to have declined a co-chair role linked to the 2026 event.
According to reports cited by the Daily Mail, her decision was connected to the involvement of Amazon founder Bezos and his wife, although her representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
Streep has recently appeared on the May 2026 cover of Vogue alongside Anna Wintour, promoting The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Wintour, the long-time Vogue editor-in-chief and Met Gala organiser, has publicly defended the Bezoses' role in the 2026 event.
"I think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event," she told CNN.
"(I'm) very grateful for her incredible generosity, and she's a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion, so we're thrilled she's part of the night."
The 2026 Met Gala, themed Costume Art with a dress code of "Fashion Is Art", will also feature co-chairs including Beyonce, Venus Williams and Nicole Kidman.
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