Entertainment
Megan Thee Stallion Shuts Down Rumor She Was Banned From the Met Gala (Exclusive)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/megan-the-stallion-2025-met-gala-050525-83419c18134b4e449dd6a888f4f538ef.jpg)
NEED TO KNOW
- Megan Thee Stallion debunked rumors she was banned from the Met Gala
- Rumors of the rapper being banned began circulating after she posted videos from inside the venue with WNBA player Angel Reese and Doechii, despite the event’s “no phones allowed” rule
- Megan claims that Anna Wintour loves her, and didn’t ban her from attending future Met Galas
Megan Thee Stallion is setting the record straight on all those rumors she was banned from the Met Gala after using her phone to document the night — a big no-no.
Megan recorded bits of her 2025 Met Gala experience despite the gala’s explicit no-phones-allowed rule. In the time since, rumors have swirled that her phone usage got her banned from the annual high-fashion event.
TheStewartofNY/GC Images
The 30-year-old spoke exclusively with PEOPLE on May 13 about partnering with Airbnb to bring fans the Otaku Hottie Quest Experience and reflected on her time at this year’s Met Gala.
“No. We’re gonna dead these rumors right now, OK? People are like, ‘Oh my God, Megan, you got banned from the Met Gala. No, I didn’t, babe. Like that’s not true,” Megan tells PEOPLE exclusively.
She continues, “Y’all made that up and ran with it. They love making [stuff up]. Anna [Wintour] loves me, babe. That’s why my phone was out.”
At the Met Gala, Megan dropped Instagram videos from inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art that featured her, Doechii and WNBA player Angel Reese trying the food. “We’re not supposed to have our phones, but we’re doing it [anyway],” she said in the May 5 post.
Megan Thee Stallion/Instagram
During the event, Megan wore a cleavage-baring, sparkling silver gown custom-designed by Michael Kors with an extravagant white fur coat. For glam, the rapper wore her hair in a larger-than-life tiered ponytail inspired by Josephine Baker for the night’s “Tailored for You” dress code.
Megan says wearing the hairstyle was a breeze. “I wear at least 10-pound wigs all the time,” she tells PEOPLE. “I put a lot of bundles in my hair, so my neck is pretty strong.”
“I’m surprised [my neck] doesn’t have abs, but yeah. My hair was definitely light work. That was lightweight,” Megan adds. “That was a regular day.”
Megan wasn’t the only celebrity at the bathroom to break the “no cellphones” rule. The 2025 Met Gala spawned not one but two contraband bathroom selfies.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The first, taken by Laura Harrier, featured Quinta Brunson, Ego Nwodim, Andrew Scott, LaKeith Stanfield, Sarah Snook, Keith Powers, Brian Tyree Henry, Monica Barbaro, Jeremy Pope and Justice Smith all posing for the group photo.
LAURA HARRIER/Instagram
Lewis Hamilton — one of this year’s gala co-chairs — also took a bathroom selfie: a video that featured Tracee Ellis Ross, Evan Ross, Cynthia Erivo, Caleb McLaughlin, Ayo Edebiri, Colman Domingo and his husband Raúl Domingo, among others.
Megan teased her Airbnb experience in her exclusive interview with PEOPLE, saying that her favorite part “would definitely be either the ramen part or the hot lava.”
The Otaku Hottie experience will see 12 lucky fans immersing themselves into Megan’s Otakuverse on June 12. The experience will allow guests to participate in activities like choosing cosplay outfits and battling in a 1-on-1 Mortal Kombat 1 competition on Xbox Series X.
The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!
The rapper will be present at the experience, “awarding special charms to guests so they can level up their Otaku Hottie Status.”
“I really just like that they’re gonna get to experience all the things that I like, and what I would be doing on a normal Megan Thee Stallion day — and the Hotties get to come do it with me,” she adds of the experience.
Fans can request to book the Otaku Hottie Quest by visiting airbnb.com/megantheestallion. Submissions open on May 13 and close on May 20 at 11:30 p.m. PT.
Entertainment
Katy Perry under investigation by Australian cops after Ruby Rose’s sexual assault allegation

Katy Perry is being investigated by Australian officials over Ruby Rose’s bombshell sexual assault allegation.
“Melbourne Sexual Offenses and Child Abuse Investigation Team detectives are investigating a historical sexual assault that occurred in Melbourne in 2010,” Acting Sergeant Paul Hogan of Victoria Police said in a statement Tuesday.
“Police have been told the incident occurred at a licensed premises in Melbourne’s Central Business District.”
Earlier that same day, Rose wrote via Threads that she had “finalized all reports” about Perry, 41, allegedly “pull[ing] her underwear to the side and rubb[ing] her disgusting vagina on [the actress’] face” at the Spice Market nightclub nearly 20 years ago.
“This means I am no longer able to comment, repost, or talk publicly about any of those cases, or the individuals involved,” the 40-year-old noted. “It’s going to look like I am ignoring everything from supportive messages, to other people’s experiences, but I’m not.”
The “Orange Is the New Black” alum added, “This is a standard request from the police and in many ways, quite the relief.”
Rose explained that she plans to “start the healing process” and “move forward.”
Perry’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
After Rose went viral for accusing the pop star of sexual assault over the weekend, Perry’s rep dubbed the allegations “categorically false” and “reckless lies.”
On Monday, the songwriter’s spokesperson said, “Ms. Rose has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named.”
Perry shared a powerful message via Instagram Stories the following day, sharing her 2013 song “Grace of God.”
The lyrics, notably, center around the ability “to rise above” during hard times — and feature a line about how “the truth will set you free.”
Rose claimed on Sunday to have “photos” and “multiple” witnesses to back up her accusation.
The “Batwoman” star, who said she “threw up” on Perry after the alleged incident, added, “I told the story publicly but changed it to be a ‘funny little drunk story’ because I didn’t know how else to handle it.”
“Later [Perry] agreed to help me get my US visa. So I kept it a secret,” she continued.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
Entertainment
Dave Portnoy claims Dianna Russini’s resignation letter makes ‘zero sense’

Dave Portnoy says Dianna Russini’s resignation from the Athletic makes “zero sense” after the sports journalist’s letter announcing her exit was publicized.
“If we’re just being honest this explanation really makes zero sense. I don’t think anybody should lose their job over alleged canoodling but this statement makes it seem like there was definitely canoodling happening,” the Barstool Sports founder wrote via X Tuesday.
“An innocent canoodler would prob welcome a thorough investigation to prove their innocence and exonerate themselves right? This screams guilty canoodler to me.”
Russini’s resignation letter, addressed to Athletic Executive Editor Steven Ginsberg and sent Tuesday afternoon, comes days after Page Six published photos of her at a luxury hotel with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.
Portnoy first weighed in on the bombshell snaps on Monday, speculating that “something beyond a friendship was happening” between Russini and Vrabel — who are both married to other people.
“They’re both married with kids. So, in that respect, very sad story,” Portnoy, 49, said during his “Wake Up Barstool” sports talk show, claiming that it is nothing but a “personal issue” for the NFL coach.
For Russini, Portnoy admitted it got “dicey” because “you cannot cross the line with your sources.”
He still argued that neither party should lose their jobs over the scandal.
“So maybe she crossed a work line, which will cause her to be terminated. Now she’s not dealing with nuclear codes. She’s not dealing with politicians. It’s football,” he explained.
Russini had been at the Athletic since 2023 and had the title of Senior NFL Insider.
In her resignation letter, the journalist said her decision to resign is because “commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” and she wants to stop more damage surrounding the situation.
After her bombshell statement, Ginsberg confirmed Russini’s resignation in a memo to the Athletic staff, noting that “additional information emerged” and “new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.”
Last week, Page Six exclusively obtained photos of Russini and Vrabel holding hands and hugging at the Ambiente in Sedona on March 28.
An eyewitness us that the pair had breakfast on the patio of the hotel restaurant around 10:30 a.m. on March 28 before spending a leisurely hour or so together at the pool and lounging side-by-side in a hot tub.
After the photos surfaced, the Athletic, which the New York Times obtained in 2022, sidelined Russini and launched an investigation into the matter.
Both Vrabel, 50, and Russini, 43, addressed the photos in statements to Page Six.
“These photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable. This doesn’t deserve any further response,” Vrabel told us.
Russini also told us, “The photos don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day. Like most journalists in the NFL, reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues.”
Entertainment
Country star Ella Langley says ‘very scary’ Alabama church haunted house led to her getting ‘saved again’

Ella Langley is opening up about what it was like for her growing up in a small town as a Southern Baptist.
During an interview on the “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von” podcast, the 26-year-old country music star spoke about her upbringing in a small town in Alabama, recalling getting scared in the church’s “judgment houses.”
“It’s, like, they do it around Halloween,” she said. “It’s like a haunted house for Christians, I guess. Very scary. I remember our youth group took us. You get in there, and it’s like this car crash scene, and it’s pretty much like convincing you… that you could die the second you walk out of here, so you better settle up. You better get saved.”
She explained that the haunted houses “affected me so bad” that when they asked her youth group if anyone wanted to talk, she raised her hand and “got saved again.”
The “Excuse the Mess” singer recalled her dad telling her, “Well, you are kind of a dumba–, cuz that’s the whole point of being saved.”
Langley explained that she was homeschooled for many years, and her life consisted of going to church, noting, “Pretty much all we did was go to church.”
She noted it was a “really, really small church. It started in a barn. The house that I also grew up in, my dad grew up in, and there was an old barn across the street, and it started in hay bales on that barn, and then they moved it to a church, and I mean every Sunday and Wednesday until I was 18 years old.”
She compared growing up in a small town to her experience with fame, explaining, “You’ve known all these people your whole life,” and growing up in that environment, “I would hear s— about me all the time,” adding, “you just get used to that.”
Langley began her career on social media, gaining a following by posting covers on TikTok and Instagram, leading her to release her EP “Excuse the Mess” in 2023.
The EP helped solidify her fan base and included many of her early hits, including “If You Have To” and “Country Boy’s Dream Girl.” She achieved mainstream success when she collaborated with Riley Green on her hit song “You Look Like You Love Me,” which went viral on TikTok, got millions of streams on Spotify and Apple Music, and expanded her audience.
Her debut studio album, “Hungover,” was released in August 2024, and in April 2025, Langley was presented with the ACM New Female Artist of the Year award by country icon Miranda Lambert, who has become a good friend to the budding star.
“I was singing constantly as a kid. Like I said, I’ve known my whole life what I wanted to do, so I was always doing it,” she told Grammy.com in August 2024, adding she became a stronger songwriter during COVID, saying, “all I did was write, write, write.”
The “Choosin’ Texas” singer told the outlet that storytelling is in her blood, noting, her “dad’s an incredible storyteller” and so was her grandpa. “Storytelling is what my family did,” she said.
When speaking with Theo Von on the podcast, she credited her grandparents on her father’s side for nurturing her love of music, saying her “grandpa could play anything by ear.”
“I was, like, the first girl in the family, and I started to match pitch with [my grandma] as a baby, and so she figured out I could sing, and singing was her thing, and my grandpa could, like I said, play any instrument by ear, and so at their house, that’s all we did,” she said
“I sang at church a lot. I learned how to read from singing hymnals,” she added. “I really, just the whole time, like, my whole family, we all just were like, ‘This is what she’s gonna do.’”
-
Trending2 weeks agoWho Are Illinois Guard Keaton Wagler’s Parents?
-
Trending2 weeks agoTexas Rangers 2026 Home Opener: How to watch and what to look for
-
Trending1 week agoBill Raftery, college basketball’s poet laureate, calls 2026 Final Four
-
Trending2 weeks agoPolice to charge suspect in fatal shooting of infant in Brooklyn
-
News2 weeks agoIf Life Exists in Venus’ Atmosphere, It Could Have Come From Earth
-
News1 week ago
Stephen Miller Is Still Pursuing His Immigration Agenda, but More Quietly
-
News2 weeks agoAn Aerobot With ISRU Capabilities Could Explore Venus’ Atmosphere for Years
-
News2 weeks agoOldest Carbon-rich Stars Open a Window to Early Cosmic Chemistry
