As celebrities make their way up the steps at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Met Gala, most spectators are focused on the stories and details behind the daring and extravagant looks.
What they’re likely not focused on (or maybe they are…) is one logistical question: How exactly are some of the A-listers going to use the restroom once inside, especially those appearing in intricate and complicated ensembles?
It’s a critical thought that is likely top of mind for the stars actually wearing the outfits — notably Heidi Klum, who was transformed into a living sculpture Monday night in a custom look by Mike Marino. Created with materials like latex and spandex, the look was inspired by classical works such as the Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sammartino and the Veiled Vestal by Raffaele Monti.
The Project Runway later posted a video on TikTok of her trying to sit in a vehicle on the way to the 2026 event. She captioned the post, “Thinking about the fact that statues don’t get bathroom breaks.”
While it’s safe to assume Klum didn’t get to relieve herself during the night’s activities, The Washington Post recently looked into just how celebrities go about using the bathroom during fashion‘s biggest night.
“It is extremely difficult, and normally means no drinking anything like water, and needing assistance to disrobe and then re-robe afterwards,” Miranda Almond, stylist to Olivia Colman, told the newspaper over email. “That’s when a publicist or whomever is the plus-one really earns their stripes!”
Brian Daniel, founder of the Celebrity PA Network, which provides staffing for high-net-worth individuals, also said that “some of the big stars have their own assistants on site” to help when nature calls. He also told The Post that some outfits include hidden “trap doors” near the crotch.
Stylist Mickey Freeman, who previously dressed Tony Award-winning producer Cody Renard Richard for the 2025 Met Gala, said the designers and tailors are “the true heroes in these situations,” as they’re sometimes able to add discreet zippers to dresses.
Klum hasn’t been the only celebrity to comment on the bathroom logistics at the Met Gala. After wearing a crimson custom Maison Martin Margiela gown to the 2017 event, Katy Perry previously explained to Ellen DeGeneres, “There was a lot of self-control, practice, and GoGirls. You know those little contraptions where you then get to urinate standing up?”
As for Kim Kardashian, who wore a custom latex beaded Thierry Mugler dress at the 2019 event, she previously said on an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, “Honestly, if it’s an emergency, I think I pee my pants and then have my sister wipe my leg up. I’m not even joking. She can wipe my leg up.”
Kim Kardashian at the 2019 Met Gala.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
The dress code for the 2026 Met Gala was “Fashion Is Art,” while this year’s exhibition, “Costume Art,” examined “the centrality of the dressed body throughout time and culture, juxtaposing garments and works of art from across the Museum’s vast collection to create pairings that highlight the indivisible connection between clothing and the body,” according to the official descriptions.
Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour served as this year’s co-chairs, while Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos were the honorary chairs.
See all the Met Gala looks here, and catch up on The Hollywood Reporter‘s Met Gala coverage here.
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