Video of Cockroach at Met Gala Goes Viral Before Getting Stepped On

While celebrities traditionally jostle for attention at the Met Gala, it was a cockroach that almost stole the show at this year's star-studded fundraiser.

A who's who of Hollywood—including Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz and Kim Kardashian—stepped out in head-turning style on Monday at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Long after the A-listers filed into the venue—and before Rihanna and her partner A$AP Rocky made their late arrival—a cockroach was seen crawling its way up the steps. The insect created a reaction fit for a celebrity.

In video footage shared on Twitter, a person off camera was heard yelling: "Here he comes! He's hungry!" The same person then repeatedly called for esteemed photographer Kevin Mazur to "get a photo" of the cockroach.

As the crowd cheered on the spectacle, Mazur, who was on the customized carpet, stepped back quickly to keep up with the insect's pace as he snapped images of the uninvited guest.

The clip, shared on Variety's Twitter account, proved to be one of the viral moments of the evening. It has received more than 6.2 million views since it was uploaded onto the social media platform.

So captivating was the moment that Variety also posted a photo of Mazur posing alongside an image of the cockroach on his camera's screen.

However, the cockroach's star shone brightly and briefly. Variety revealed in a later Twitter post that its life had come to an end on the very carpet it had found fame.

Alongside a photo of the perished cockroach, a caption shared on the publication's account read: "It is with deep sadness that we must report the #MetGala cockroach was stepped on. #RIP."

While the cockroach had a scene-stealing moment, a host of celebrities put on show-stopping displays at the event, including singer and beauty and fashion entrepreneur Rihanna. She is expecting her second child, and grabbed attention in a white Valentino hooded gown, adorned with large camellia flowers.

The theme of this year's Met Gala was "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," a tribute to the late German fashion designer. The event celebrated the opening of the Costume Institute's exhibition on Lagerfeld, with the dress code for the gala simply stated as "in honor of Karl."

Named as co-chairs at this year's event with Vogue editor-in-chief and Met Gala chair Anna Wintour were actress Penélope Cruz, singer Dua Lipa, tennis great Roger Federer, and screenwriter and actress Michaela Coel.

Update 5/2/23, 5:57 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

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