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1977 Classic Ballad, Named No. 1 Hit for Six Weeks, Reclaimed No. 1 Five Years Later
Some songs become hits straight off the bat, but others need a second chance to become a No. 1 single.
"I've Never Been to Me," performed by Charlene, is one of the incredibly rare ballads to achieve that kind of comeback success.
Originally released in 1977, the song initially failed to make a major impact on the charts. Despite its heartfelt lyrics and Charlene's powerful delivery, it struggled to find a wide audience during its first run.
"When we did that beautiful song, released it, it wasn't promoted, it flopped on the charts and went down, I was like, 'I'm done,'" Charlene told Pop Entertainment.
But that wasn't the end of its story.
Years later, the track was rediscovered and re-released, this time capturing listeners in a completely different way. In 1982, "I've Never Been to Me" surged up the charts and ultimately reached No. 3 on Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Australia's music charts, where it remained for six weeks, becoming one of the biggest hits of the year.
The song's success was fueled by a radio DJ in Florida who discovered the track years after its original release and started spinning it on air. The unexpected popularity snowballed, prompting the record label to re-release the track nationally.
By time "I've Never Been to Me" was a Billboard hit, Charlene had stepped away from the music scene.
"I wasn't ready for the music to enter my life again, a second time in 1982. I had been living in England, just got married and was working in a sweet shop, which is a candy store," the singer said in a 2020 interview.
"My mom told me that somebody from Motown Records was looking for me. I didn't know who it was or why they were trying to contact me," she recalled. "So I called Motown Records and got the president of the company, not Berry Gordy, but a man named Jay Lasker. He told me that the song 'I've Never Been To Me' was on the pop charts on the Billboard 100 and it was climbing off the charts. I couldn't believe it! It was crazy! I was wondering, 'Why now, seven years later, was the song a hit?' It was very strange."
The song's emotional storytelling, centered on a woman reflecting on her life choices, fame and personal fulfillment, resonated with listeners. Its spoken-word bridge, an unusual choice for a mainstream pop hit, added to its distinctiveness and helped set it apart from other songs of the era.
What made the track especially powerful was its relatability. Themes of self-discovery, regret and longing struck a chord with audiences, allowing the song to connect on a deeply personal level.
Its return to the top of the charts years after its original release is a rare achievement in pop music, one that highlights how timing and context can completely change a song’s impact.
Today, “I’ve Never Been to Me” remains a timeless classic, remembered not only for its emotional depth but for its remarkable journey back to No. 1.
Sometimes, the right song just needs the right moment to truly be heard.
Related: 1974 Soft Rock Classic Became a No. 1 Hit Seven Years Later by '80s Music Legend
Walmart Has a 'Stylish' $105 3-Piece Dining Table Set That’s 'Perfect for a Small Space'
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Looking to host more gatherings for your friends and family this year? If so, you’ll need the perfect dining room set-up to seat and serve guests. This 3-piece dining table set, now on sale at Walmart, is a great option that delivers on both fashion and function. It would be a “stylish” addition to a mid-century modern home, but it's versatile enough to fit in with just about any decor style.
The Uhomepro 3-Piece Dining Table Set is on sale now in three colors. You can get the black and beige sets for $105, down from $180, while a black and white marbled set is on sale for $110. All of the options feature two flat benches that seat up to two people each.
Uhomepro 3-Piece Dining Table Set, $105 (was $180) at Walmart Shop at WalmartThe table measures 48 inches long, 59 inches wide, and 31 inches high. It features a 0.6-inch thick, safety-tempered marble top that is both chic and practical. With a weight capacity of 176 pounds, you can place food, a centerpiece, and anything else you like on it.
Both benches measure 41 inches long, 11 inches wide, and 18 inches high. They are crafted from a rust-resistant metal frame and “sturdy” legs. With a weight capacity of 440 pounds, the benches can safely seat four people. Shoppers happily reported that they were “comfortable” sitting on them.
The rectangular set can be placed in your kitchen or dining room. You can even use it in your craft room, garage, or anywhere else you need a flat surface and seating. Its compact size makes it “perfect for a small space,” such as dorms, apartments, or condos. Assembly is required, but shoppers said it was easy to put together.
With over 840 perfect five-star reviews, this versatile bestseller has evidently won the hearts of shoppers. One reviewer praised the "amazing" quality and said the set "looks even better in real life."
Related: Walmart's $66 Foldable Cot Is 'Comfortable,' 'Spacious' and 'Great for Camping or Travel'
“It has a clean, modern look that fits perfectly in my space, and the benches tuck neatly under the table when not in use, which is great for saving room,” another shopper said.
It’s durable and easy to clean, which makes it even more family-friendly. The set is coated with waterproof varnish, and it's scratch-resistant. So it’s sure to withstand a multitude of family dinners, card games, craft projects, and anything else you use it for.
Hurry, because this flash deal won’t last long. Snag the Uhomepro 3-Piece Dining Table Set for as low as $105 now at Walmart.
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’80s Legend Reveals the Audience He Really Had in Mind for Van Halen's No. 1 Rock Hit
David Lee Rothof Van Halen recently revealed that their hit song “Jump” was written with one specific audience in mind.
Sitting down with Billboard, Roth revealed that the iconic song, which Rolling Stone has named as one of the greatest songs of all time, was set at 126 BPM so girls could dance to it.
“I purposely licensed only to contact sports, girl-friendly commercials and movies that were really physical, but girl-friendly,” Roth said of the anthem that hit number #1 Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, the only Van Halen song to ever achieve the feat.
“Jump,” which was released in 1983, is one of those “girl-friendly” tracks.
“Most rock and roll is meant for fellas,” Roth continued. “It’s all what we call tits and pits.”
However, most Van Halen music is set at 126 BPM. During the interview, Roth got up and demonstrated what a dance at that tempo looks like. “See? That’s not for fellas,” he said.
@billboardDavid Lee Roth talks to Billboard News about “Jump” and confirms that Van Halen is for the girls at Stagecoach 2026. ✨ #vanhalen #stagecoach #forthegirls #ozzyosbourne
♬ original sound - billboardOn April 25, Roth joined Teddy Swims for a high-energy performance of “Jump” at Stagecoach in Indio, California. This was their third collaboration in April, having performed together twice during Coachella. The 71-year-old rocker surprised the crowd, walking out in a leather vest with black and white pants.
"Classic Van Halen is probably 30 percent cowboy hat and boot," Roth said to Rolling Stone. “[‘Jump’ is] a song about ascending, taking a shot, testing the deep end. It's about leading with your forehead, and I've been places with mine you wouldn't go with a pistol — which is cowboy humor."
Roth is currently on a solo tour and will perform at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on May 6. He’ll also perform in cities like Sioux Falls, Milwaukee and more this summer. Find his full touring schedule here.
Ben Stein and Alan Ruck Had a ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ Reunion, and We’re Tempted To Say ‘Bueller?'
Ferris Bueller's Day Off stars Ben Stein and Alan Ruck are back together 40 years after the beloved film hit theaters.
Ruck, 69, played Ferris Bueller's incredible sidekick, Cameron Frye, in the iconic 1986 film. While that was the jumping point for his career, his talents have grown tremendously since then, landing him important roles on shows ranging from Spin City to Succession. Stein, 81, had a long history as a speechwriter for presidents like Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford before he ever dipped into the entertainment realm. But after Ferris, he became a frequent face on television, starring on the hit Comedy Central game show, Win Ben Stein's Money, alongside Jimmy Kimmelfrom 1997 to 2003.
This week, Stein and Ruck reunited for a screening of the iconic John Hughes film during the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. With four decades that have passed, it's great to see they've held onto their friendship.
Photo by Jesse Grant on Getty Images
Ben Stein's Role in Ferris BuellerIf you've ever heard anyone drone on, saying "Bueller? Bueller?" then you're well aware of Stein's role in the iconic film as a monotone economics teacher, wondering why Ferris isn't in class. If you need a quick refresher, here's Stein's most famous scene in the film. Don't miss a young Kristy Swanson sharing her infamous line of mistaken gossip:
"My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night," she explains to Stein.
How Did Ben Stein End Up in Ferris Bueller's Day Off?Last year, Stein opened up to Entertainment Tonight about how he ended up with a role in the movie. He was visiting the set with a producer friend, and director Hughes noticed he had "a really, really funny voice." He asked Stein to do a little role off-camera, taking attendance of the students. Later, he was told to just go make something up on camera, but he gave the lecture on economics, which cracked up the cast and crew. It was so successful that it was extended and became a legendary scene in the movie.
Stein went home and told his wife he'd just had the best day of his life, and it kicked off his acting career.
‘General Hospital’ Star Returns to TV After Abrupt Exit From ABC Soap
Haley Pullos is headed back to the small screen nearly three years after her sudden exit from General Hospital due to legal issues.
The actress played Molly on the hit ABC soap for 14 years, growing up before General Hospital fans' eyes.
On Thursday, May 7, soap fans will see Pullos in a whole new light as she stars in the Lifetime movie The Dating App Nightmare. It marks her first role since her DUI car crash in April 2023, which led to her three-month stint in jail and loss of the gig on General Hospital.
In The Dating App Nightmare, Pullos plays Sarah, the daughter of a single mom, Kate (Nicky Whelan), who agrees to join a dating app with her daughter in hopes it will help them bond. However, things take a turn when Sarah suddenly goes missing after a date with someone she met on the app, forcing Kate to conduct her own investigation and search for her missing daughter.
Along with Pullos and Whelan, The Dating App Nightmare also stars Charisma Carpenter, Brennan Mejia, and Nikolas Elrifi.
Pullos teased her latest project in an Instagram post, writing, “catch me in a new lifetime movie thursday may 7th!! 🤭🤍.
Related: ‘General Hospital’ Hunk Impresses with Performance Honoring Michael Jackson
In April 2023, Pullos was involved in a head-on collision after she was driving the wrong way on a Los Angeles freeway, with firefighters having to pull Pullos out of the car.
After being treated for her injuries at the hospital, Pullos was arrested for driving under the influence with her alcohol level three times the legal limit. Pullos was ultimately charged with one felony count of DUI causing injury, one felony count of driving with a .08 BAC causing injury, and one misdemeanor count of hit-and-run resulting in property damage.
The actress was sentenced in July 2024. In a statement to People magazine, Pullos’s lawyer, Dan Melnick, confirmed her sentencing.
“Haley was sentenced to probation with 90 days county jail with time served, a nine-month DUI program, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) program and continuing private counseling,” he expressed to the outlet.
General Hospital airs weekdays on ABC.
Next: Hallmark Star Jonathan Bennett Breaks Silence on Joining ‘General Hospital’
'Andor's Diego Luna Joins Beloved Disney Live-Action Remake in Mystery Role
Star Wars’ Diego Luna is about to make his princess movie debut.
Having wrapped his role in Star Wars’ Andor TV series, it was announced that Luna has joined Disney’s live-action remake of Tangled.
Released in 2010, the animated film based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale is an action-packed retelling of the story of Rapunzel. Variety reported that Luna will appear “in an all-new role that’s been created for the film, but there’s a decent chance his character will appreciate an impressive coiffure.”
Luna made his debut in Disney’s Star Wars as Cassian Andor in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In his most recent Disney role, Luna reprised his character for the two-season Andor Disney+ show. The story takes place before Rogue One, following Cassian in the years leading up to joining Jyn Erso alongside the Rebellion.
Disney’s upcoming Tangled remake will also star Milo Manheim of Zombies fame and Marvel’s Kathryn Hahn. Manheim will star as Flynn Rider, while Hahn will be playing the villain, Mother Gothel.
"Too grateful to put into words," Manheim posted on his Instagram story after his casting announcement. "I will do him justice I promise."
While fans wait to see who Luna will play in the upcoming film, they’ve taken to social media to guess who he might be.
“Please tell me he’s Pascal,” one fan joked, referring to Rapunzel’s chameleon sidekick.
“He might be playing Rapunzel’s father, which sounds ridiculous, but he could be a new character,” another said.
The Hollywood Reporter announced that Tangled will begin filming in June in Spain. Check out their cast announcement here:
View this post on Instagram’90s Rock Legend Speaks Out on Cancer Diagnosis
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has shared that he recently battled throat cancer and is now cancer-free after doctors caught the illness early.
The 63-year-old rock musician opened up about the health scare during an appearance on comedian and musician Dean Delray’s podcast, Let There Be Talk. Newsted said he decided to speak publicly about the diagnosis as he prepares to return to performing this summer with Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band.
Newsted explained that he underwent surgery on May 8, 2025, after learning he had throat cancer.
“So, let’s see, in one week, it’s gonna be a year,” Newsted said. “May 8th of 2025, I underwent a procedure for throat cancer. And so they took a bunch of shit outta here and then they went in with lasers this way and took a bunch of shit out.”
Jason Newsted, former bassist of Metallica, performs on stage with the Chophouse Band during The Art of Rawk Private Unveiling.He added, “So the cavern inside my head is different than it was, but we got it early. And I got my ‘free and clear’ about three weeks ago. So I beat it.”
The rocker also explained that his health battle was the reason he could not appear at Delray’s Bon Scott and AC/DC tribute event earlier this year.
“If I could have been there, I would’ve been there,” Newsted said.
During the interview, Newsted shared how the experience forced him to slow down and focus on recovery for the first time in his life.
“I promised myself I was going to rest, and that was the first time I’ve done that in my life,” he said. “I’m usually just on or off.”
The musician also admitted that the diagnosis pushed him to stop drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana during recovery.
“And there’s no way, with my arrogant, spoiled ass that I would’ve stopped smoking weed, that I would’ve stopped drinking, that I would’ve stopped doing all the things,” Newsted said.
He continued by saying the difficult moment helped him gain a clearer outlook on life.
“But the great spirit got my attention and said, ‘That’s not good right now, man.’ And so it pulled me off it. And so now I’m more clear-headed than I’ve been in my entire adult life.”
Despite the painful experience, Newsted said he is trying to stay positive.
“And so there’s blessings within everything,” he said. “The lemonade I’m making this summer, bro — mm. Sweet. Ooh.”
Along with sharing his health update, Newsted confirmed he is preparing to hit the road again with his band this summer.
Jason Newsted & The Chophouse Band will launch an 18-date North American run beginning July 1 in Northampton, Massachusetts. The tour will include headlining concerts and several support dates with Blackberry Smoke.
The tour is scheduled to stop in cities including Albany, Alexandria, Charlotte, Nashville, Knoxville and Grand Rapids before ending with two shows at the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on July 24 and July 25.
Newsted is best known for serving as bassist for Metallica from 1986 to 2001 after joining the band following the death of bassist Cliff Burton.
During his time with the legendary metal group, Newsted performed on major albums including ...And Justice for All, Metallica, Load, and Reload.
He later left the band in 2001 and continued working with several music projects, including Voivod, Echobrain, and his own group, Newsted.
In 2009, Newsted reunited with his former bandmates when Metallica was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Now, after quietly facing one of the toughest battles of his life, the veteran rocker says he is ready to return to music with a fresh outlook and a clean bill of health.
Related: Iconic ’70s Rock Band Announces Exciting News After Funding Issues
Dianna Russini Offered New Job Amid Mike Vrabel Scandal
Former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini may have a new job lined up following her resignation from the publication amid an alleged cheating scandal with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
During the Friday, May 1 episode of his Stugotz & Company podcast, sports talk radio host Jon “Stugotz” Weiner said Russini can work for him whenever she's ready.
“I did say if The Athletic fired her, I would hire her,” Weiner said. “They didn’t fire her. She stepped down from The Athletic, and the offer holds forever.”
“If Dianna Russini decides one day, three months from now, a year from now, two years from now, that she wants to get back into this game, she has a place right here,” he continued.
Weiner then noted that he was “not apologizing” or acting as a “mouthpiece” for Russini.
“I am simply saying, it’s her story to tell, it’s not my story, and I am simply going to support my friend," he added.
The podcast host also said he's been supportive of the journalist as a friend and wouldn’t be sharing anything she had confided in him about the scandal.
RELATED: Dianna Russini Tweet From 2021 Resurfaces, Fueling Mike Vrabel Affair Rumors
In April, photos published in the New York Post showed Russini and Vrabel holding hands and hugging at a luxury hotel in Arizona.
After the pictures went viral, both called the photos “misleading” and vehemently denied rumors of an affair. The journalist has been married to Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020 while the football coach and his wife Jennifer have been married since 1999.
Nevertheless, Russini resigned from the publication on Apr. 14, and Vrabel announced on Thursday, Apr. 23 that he would be seeking counseling in the wake of the scandal.
Later on Apr. 23, Page Six released photos that appeared to show Russini and Vrabel kissing at a bar in New York City in March 2020—seemingly confirming the alleged affair and sparking questions about the timeline of the pair’s relationship.
RELATED: Mike Vrabel Receives Standing Ovation at Patriots Event Amid Dianna Russini Scandal
“I take accountability for my actions and the actions that caused a distraction to the people that I care most about,” Vrabel told reporters before the 2026 NFL Draft on Apr. 23. “My family, this football team, the organization and the fans.”
“My priorities are my family and this football and in that order,” he added, before sharing he would miss the third and final day of the draft for counseling. “There’s a balance there that I’m going to create. My family needs me this weekend and that’s where I’ll be.”
Vrabel declined to elaborate on what the counseling would entail, calling it a “private and personal matter.” He also told reporters that he could not say for certain if he would miss any further football activities going forward.
‘Fourth Wing’ Author Reveals ‘Phenomenal’ Update Fans Have Been Waiting For
Romantasy readers have obsessed over Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros since it was first released. As soon as there was news of a TV series in development, ears picked up. Of course, like many a romantasy that has been optioned to series, there have been delays.
Sarah J. Maas fans were recently disappointed to hear that the process on developing A Court of Thorns and Roses into a TV series had come to an end. She has the rights to the books back, and now she needs to figure out where to go from here. So, it's easy to fear that a lack of updates from Yarros or those involved in the Fourth Wing series means something bad.
It really doesn't! Yarros has finally brough the updated that we all needed. This series really is in the works.
Rebecca Yarros Has an Update About the 'Fourth Wing' ScriptWhile the announcement about Fourth Wing being optioned broke in October 2023, there's been a lull in updates since then. That's not surprising, as there was a lot of work going on behind the scenes. One of those was a change in showrunner, as Meredith Averill took over, despite Moira Walley-Beckett initially tapped as showrunner.
A change behind the scenes like this can be scary for fans. After all, it creates delays. However, the potential pilot script has already been written, and while this could change, Yarros is happy with it right now.
"Having read a couple versions of the pilot, I have nothing but respect for her," Yarros told Variety about Walley-Beckett, who penned the first scripts, "And watching how she handles the book with such respect and such zeal."
She went on to tell everyone that the early stages of the development are "phenomenal," and that she has "no notes."
Rebecca Yarros was Understandably WorriedIt's not surprising to hear that Yarros was initially worried about the development of the series, and not the fact that it wouldn't end up happening. She was worried about the scripts. While promoting the third book in the series, Onyx Storm, she admitted just how nervous she was, calling the novels her baby.
That's exactly what the work is to authors. However, seeing the initial scripts will help to ease some of the pressure. Plus, Amazon MGM Studios is one of the production studios behind it, which already has a strong track record for book adaptations with the likes of Reacher and Scarpetta.
There is still no casting news to report, but Yarros wants to push for inclusivity with that. After all, the show needs to capture the characters as best as possible to draw the book fans in.
2002 Summer Hit Brought the Fans, Broke Records and 'Redefined' a Genre
If the box office had a runway, The Devil Wears Prada 2 has been strutting it all weekend long.
The highly anticipated sequel is performing above expectations, bringing in $77 million in the U.S. and surpassing the projected $73 million, according to Deadline.
Exactly 24 years ago, meanwhile, another high-profile movie had hit theaters with impressive numbers to follow...
On May 3, 2022, the very first live-action Spider-Man film was released to both critical and commercial acclaim. Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and other big names, the groundbreaking superhero flick set box-office records thanks to all the buzz and Marvel fans who were ready to feast their eyes on the visually stunning end result.
Directed by Sam Raimi, Spider-Man was the first movie to ever surpass $100 million in its opening weekend and became the highest-grossing superhero movie at the time, in addition to other impressive statistics.
Critics also raved about the movie, which holds an impressive 90% average rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on over 275 reviews. So did the fans, of course, who have agreed in the years since that the O.G. web-slinger movie essentially redefined the modern superhero blockbuster. The finished product was able to blend heartfelt, earnest storytelling with all the makings of an eye-popping cinematic experience.
A Reddit thread started in 2020, for instance, dove into how the Maguire-led Spider-Man "forever redefined the summer movie for Hollywood - Sony's Marvel movie predated the MCU, but paved the way for the kinds of superheroes — and release dates — that still rule the box office."
"It redefined the origin movie," one Redditor commented in the thread. "Instead of a first act showing all his problems and then he starts using his powers he gets bitten in the first 5 minutes and the first act is a comedy about him discovering his powers."
'Boy Meets World' Legend Dead at 68, Cast 'Devastated'
David Kendall, the creative mind behind much of Boy Meets World, has died at 68.
The news was shared Saturday, May 2, via the Pod Meets World podcast’s Instagram account, which is run by former stars Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle. In their message, the trio made it clear just how deeply Kendall impacted their lives, both during the show’s run and in the years that followed.
“To say that David Kendall was instrumental in the creation of Boy Meets World would be an understatement. He directed, wrote and executive produced our show, but also helped mold some of TV’s most memorable sitcoms, from Growing Pains to Hannah Montana,” the tribute started out.
View this post on InstagramThe post noted how in addition to helping shape Fishel and Strong’s careers, he worked with other high profile stars: “He worked with stars like Austin Butler, Zendaya, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers in the early stages of their careers.”
“We are devastated to lose such an important person in our lives, both professionally and personally,” the post continued, before asking fans to think of Kendall the next time they watch Season 2 and 3, where he served as showrunner.
Comments poured in, with many leaving tributes and memories about the producer.
“I was fortunate to have been in touch with him as recently as last month. He was a brave, wonderful gentleman and leaves a hole in our hearts,” one person commented.
Another shared, “Thank you, @podmeetsworldshow, for putting a spotlight on the many other wonderful and talented people who make BMW possible.”
READ MORE: Iconic Santana Vocalist Dead at 79
“So glad you made him & his name a part of our lives now through the podcast,” said a third.
Kendall had appeared on the podcast in 2023, sharing never heard behind-the-scenes stories from the ‘90s sitcom along with other shocking tidbits about the beloved series.
Over the course of his career, he worked across multiple hit series, including credits on Hannah Montana, Victorious, and Big Time Rush.
A cause of death has not been confirmed at this time, and reps have not responded to Parade’s request for comment.
The Polite Way To Tell Someone To Stop Sending You TikToks
You open TikTok for a minute and immediately send a couple videos—just two, maybe three, nothing crazy. It never feels like a lot in the moment. But on the receiving end, it can be a different story. What starts as a harmless ping turns into a growing stack of unread clips, each one after another paired with a note that says, “You HAVE to watch this.” Suddenly, catching up on TikToks feels less like a fun break and more like an assignment you didn’t realize you signed up for. You want to keep up, but the backlog says otherwise—and so does the quiet pressure to respond to every single one. So, what’s a polite way to tell someone to stop sending you TikToks? It can be a surprisingly tricky topic to confront someone about.
Of course, the sender isn’t trying to overwhelm anyone. They’re just deep in the scroll, finding gem after gem and thinking, "This is so them." That's honestly so flattering. But before they know it, one share turns into five, five turns into 15, and because it’s all happening in real time, it barely registers as excessive. In their mind, they’re curating joy. In reality, they may have accidentally become a full-time content distributor. Which is great until someone has to figure outhow to politely ask them to maybe—just maybe—ease up on the TikToks.
To help you with that, etiquette expert Nick Leighton, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and co-host of the etiquette and manners podcast ("Were You Raised By Wolves?"), has some advice. Keep reading to find out what he says, so the next time you find yourself staring down a pile of unopened videos, you’ll know exactly how to handle it: gracefully, kindly and without starting a group chat crisis.
Related: How to Politely Say ‘I Already Told You’ in a Work Email, Etiquette Expert Reveals
Why Might Someone Want Another Person To Stop Sending Them TikToks?DragonImages/Getty Images
When you're sending someone TikToks, you probably get excited for them to also enjoy the funny videos that had you laughing so hard. However, the person you're sending them to might feel differently; they might not actually enjoy them all that much. So, why might someone want their friend, partner or family member to stop sending them content?
"The big one is time," Leighton tells Parade. "When you send a TikTok, you’re expecting the person to take the time to watch it and respond."
While one TikTok is fine, he expresses that when you send several, what could take a few seconds to watch starts taking over a person's day.
"When those TikToks start piling up, what started as a fun gesture starts to feel like a burden," he reveals. "Also, everyone likes different things, and people's tastes might be different. Indeed, this is the genius of the TikTok algorithm."
Related: 7 Phrases To Avoid When Emailing Gen X Coworkers, According to an Etiquette Expert
What’s a Polite Way To Ask Someone To Stop Sending You TikTok Videos?As with any situation where you're trying to think of a way to nicely ask someone to stop doing something, it can be hard to figure out exactly what to say. So what does Leighton suggest?
"You can thank them for thinking of you, but let them know that you don’t have time to watch them all and ask if they’d save their favorites to share when you next see each other in person," he advises. "You can also thank them for thinking of you, but then set a healthy screen time boundary by explaining that it’s not personal, you’re just trying to cut down on the amount of time you’re spending looking at screens."
Related: 75 Funny Text Messages To Send to Friends
And if this person is someone you still want to connect with outside of getting TikTok videos from them, then let them know and plan a hangout for the future.
"One more option is to thank them for thinking of you, but then ask them to text you when they want to connect rather than just send you videos," he shares. "Explain how you’d rather hear from them directly rather than via notifications through an app."
Related: These 11 Habits Will Make People Dislike You Fast, Etiquette Experts Warn
When Should You Tell Someone To Stop Sending You TikToks?When it comes to social media and video sharing, everyone has their limits. For some people, getting TikToks from someone each day is enough, while others may have a larger limit.
"All of our relationships are different," Leighton states. "However, as a baseline, two or three TikToks a day from someone close to you is probably in the zone. Beyond that, you’d need to really know them and know that they want that higher volume."
Up Next:
Source:- Nick Leighton is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and co-host of the etiquette and manners podcast "Were You Raised By Wolves?"
Maureen McCormick Shares Touching Birthday Post for Ann B. Davis, Who Played ‘Brady’ Housekeeper Alice
Maureen McCormick is honoring Ann B. Davis, who played the memorable Brady Bunch housekeeper Alice, on what would have been her birthday.
McCormick, 69, skyrocketed to fame as the eldest sister, Marcia Brady, on the original Brady Bunch series, which aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974 and became an international phenomenon. Davis, of course, became a fan favorite as Alice, the supportive housekeeper who helped the Brady family through their ups and downs. While Davis died in 2014 at age 88, McCormick took to Instagram on Sunday to honor her on what would have been her birthday.
"Dearest Annie, Happy Heavenly Birthday! You are in my heart forever and ever… miss you my friend…xoxo❤️," McCormick shared, adding a sweet shot of herself alongside Davis from the early years of the show.
View this post on Instagram McCormick Reunited With Her Movie Version, Christine TaylorLast month, McCormick reunited with actress Christine Taylor, 54, who tackled the role of Marcia in 1995’s The Brady Bunch Movie and 1996’s A Very Brady Sequel. With that special role in common, it’s such a delight to see the dynamic duo reunite for a sweet selfie together. On McCormick’s Instagram page, the blonde beauties snapped a photo and celebrated, in true Brady style, the ultimate “sunshine day.”
“Marcia! Marcia! Marcia’s! It’s a Sunshine Day 🎶🌼🌈☀️💖🦋 My heart is so full! I love and adore you @stillceej 💓 😘xoxo,” McCormick captioned the fun photo.
View this post on Instagram How Long Has Maureen McCormick Been Married?McCormick and her husband, Michael Cummings, have been married for 41 years. They wed in 1985 and welcomed a daughter, Natalie, in 1989, PEOPLE reported.
“I saw those eyes and just fell in love,” said Cummings, with McCormick sharing, “Ever since I was little I wanted to get married and find somebody. It’s just the craziest thing, but I looked at his eyes, we were in a concert, and I just felt like he was the one.”
McCormick has also previously shared that Cummings had no idea she was a famous actress when they met, “which was very refreshing for me, because [he had] no pre-conceived ideas about who I was. So it was really wonderful.”
In honor of their 41st anniversary back in March, the couple shared a sweet photo from the Imagine Mosaic in New York City.
“Happy 41st Anniversary Michael. Imagine…I can, I will, and I do. Through the good times and the hard times we have made it through together. Thank you for being by my side on this amazing journey. You are the reason… I love you! Xoxo,” McCormick captioned the touching photo.
View this post on Instagram‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Hired a Human Artist to Make the Film's AI-Generated Meme
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is getting praise online for an unexpected creative decision.
The sequel begins with Runway Magazine, ran by editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), in trouble due to a poor editorial decision. As a result, Priestly becomes subject to intense online hate—one post being an AI-generated image of Priestly as a fast-food worker.
Though fans initially believed the image was made by an AI tool, artist Alexis Franklin revealed on Friday, May 1—the same day as the film's release—that she actually was the one to create the now-viral image.
“I got to paint this at the request of [director] David Frankel for The Devil Wears Prada 2 (it shows up in the movie),” Franklin wrote on Instagram. “Absolutely no disrespect to Queen Meryl, but this is something I would’ve painted in my free time, so when they asked me to do this, it was nothing but fun.”
View this post on InstagramIn the comment section, fans praised Franklin's work and director David Frankel's choice to commission an actual artist for the piece.
"AI replacing artists 🙅🏻♀️ artists replacing AI 🙂↕️," wrote one fan. "so refreshing it not being AI." said another.
"I am so so so glad it was actually a real drawing omgg!!" added a third. "So happy to find that this wasn’t AI!!! More companies/editorials need to reach out to you and other artists to keep this alive!!" said a fourth.
Franklin also took to X to share the news, writing, “I posted this on Instagram yesterday and got flooded with comments of relief that this gag in The Devil Wears Prada 2 was created by an actual human (me), so I figured I’d also post it here because I think these companies should get their flowers when they hire an artist.”
The Devil Wears Prada 2 sees the return of Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, with Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman also reprising their roles from the original 2006 movie.
The movie made $77 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office and earned another $156.6 million at the international box office, bringing global ticket sales to $233.6 million for its first weekend.
‘Bachelor’ Alum Lauren Luyendyk Calls Out Alex Cooper Over Comments About Her Daughter: ‘Took It Too Far’
The Bachelor's Lauren Burnham Luyendyk is calling out Alex Cooper over past comments she made about her daughter on the Call Her Daddy podcast.
In a TikTok shared on Friday, May 1, Lauren explained how Cooper and ex-co-host Sofia Franklyn used to make fun of her baby daughter during a regular segment on the podcast back in 2019.
“[Cooper] and her co-host would… they had this regular segment ongoing, and they thought it would be funny to make fun of our unborn baby, which is fine, whatever. Make fun of us, don't care. But they took it too far,” Lauren said in the TikTok.
“They made a regular segment before she was born and after she was born where they were sexualizing our child and talking very inappropriately and disgustingly about her,” she continued. “And I will not say any specific things right here. If you guys wanna know, you can do your own research and find things.”
Lauren added “this was ongoing for a very long time, to the point where I wanted to hire a legal counsel to go after [former Call Her Daddy owner and distributor] Barstool Sports for this.”
RELATED: Alex Cooper Calls Out Alix Earle in New Video: ‘I Know What Happened, and So Do You’
However, Lauren and her husband Arie Luyendyk Jr. ultimately decided not to take any legal action as it would bring more attention to their behavior.
“We decided to let it rest. We thought it would blow over. She just kept going on forever,” the reality star said of Cooper. “So eventually she stopped, and we kind of forgot about it. And now that it's resurfacing again, it still makes me so furious.”
“I just hope that all of this controversy that's happening around her right now just causes her to rethink the level that she is willing to stoop to get attention, views, whatever it is that she's looking for, because it's not okay. And that's all I have to say about that,” she concluded the video.
RELATED: The Biggest Scandals in ‘Bachelor’ History
In April, Cooper called out influencer Alix Earle for her “passive aggressive” behavior towards her, which allegedly includes reposting and liking content critical of Cooper on social media platforms.
Though the social media star has yet to share her side of the story, fans quickly took sides online—and it's clear Lauren has taken Earle's.
Lauren first publicized her issues with Cooper during an episode of The Unplanned Podcast back in 2023. There, she and Arie explained that they would share weekly social media captions written from the perspective of their baby—both before and after she was born— and it became a running joke on Call Her Daddy.
At the time, Lauren said Cooper and Franklyn would be “classless” and say “really inappropriate things."
“The people that are listening to it, I'm like, they're not parents, probably, and if they were, they would be really disturbed by a baby being mentioned next to another sentiment like that,” she said.
Lauren and Arie married in 2019 and share four children: Alessi, 6, 4-year-old twins Senna and Lux, and Livvy, 6 months.
1987 Tearjerker With a No. 1 Hit Soundtrack Ranked Among Best Rock Movies of All Time
The first time we watched La Bamba, we cried so ugly we thought our face would stick that way. A true story about a teen rock star, the film is now ranked by Ultimate Classic Rock as the best rock movie of 1987, and with its magnetic cast, emotional highs and lows, and No. 1 hit soundtrack, we have to agree.
Centered on 1950s rock ’n’ roll star Ritchie Valens, the biopic follows the meteoric rise and tragic fate of the 17-year-old Mexican-American pioneer of Chicano rock. Lou Diamond Phillips stars as Valens, delivering a breakout performance that — despite not providing his own vocals — radiates charisma and chemistry. Youth, fame, pressure, romance, tragedy — director Luis Valdez brings it all together for a story that feels almost Shakespearean.
View this post on InstagramLa Bamba is also a shining example of music and movie magic, with the soundtrack, performed by Tex-Mex band Los Lobos, reimagining covers for the film and shooting both the album and lead single to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100. The album was later certified double platinum.
On February 3, 1959, Valens died in a plane crash. The day became known as The Day the Music Died. The film depicts the tragic event, staying loyal to historical detail. Valens, who had a fear of flying due to a real-life plane crash that happened at his school in 1957, was headed on tour with Buddy Holly and two other acts. Waylon Jennings, Holly’s bass player at the time, took the bus instead. It was reported that Jennings was haunted by the event for years.
In 2017, La Bamba was added to the National Film Registry, cementing the Golden Globe-nominated film as a culturally and historically significant work of art. Today, the biopic, which has a remake in the works, still resonates as a definitive rock biopic, reinforcing its teen dream as a lasting legend.
Related: 1973 Nostalgic Hit Saved by ‘The Godfather’ Ranked Among the Best Rock Movies of All Time
Amazon Has Pain-Free Skechers Slip-In Sneakers That Feel Like 'Walking on a Cloud' for Over 40% Off
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These shoes are designed for long wear, with Skechers’ max cushioning platform to absorb impact and an air-cooled memory foam insole that stays soft throughout the day. A built-in heel pillow guides your foot into place, while the engineered knit upper adds breathability and flexibility. The Ultra Go cushioning midsole is lightweight but supportive, and the slip-in entry means no laces and no effort when you’re rushing out the door.
Skechers Max Cushioning Elite 2.0 Eternal Slip-Ins Sneakers, From $74 (was $125) at Amazon Shop at AmazonThey’re available in five colors — white and black, solid black, black and purple, black and white, charcoal and burgundy, solid mauve, natural and pink, and navy and blue. They come in sizes 5 to 11, including medium and wide widths. Discounts vary slightly, but many hue and size combinations are over 40% off right now.
Reviews showed just how well the design pays off. One shopper wrote, “These are very convenient and quick to get on.” Another said the shoes “feel like walking on a cloud.” A third added, “I can wear them all day long without any pain.”
Related: Amazon’s 'Unbelievably Comfortable' $10 Slide Sandals Are Like 'Clouds' for Your Feet
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If you’ve been looking for a comfortable slip-in sneaker with everyday versatility, this sale makes it easy to grab a brand-new pair to add to your collection. Be sure to snag your own Skechers Max Cushioning Elite 2.0 Eternal Slip-Ins Sneakers while they’re still marked down this low at Amazon.
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1994 Soul-Stirring Ballad Turned a Forgotten Track Into One of the Most Covered Songs Ever
In 1994, alternative icon Jeff Buckley recorded a soul-stirring take of “Hallelujah” that would go on to define the song for generations. Decades later, his haunting version has inspired hundreds of covers and remains one of the most chill-inducing performances in modern music. Here’s the story behind it.
Originally written and recorded in 1984 by Canadian troubadour Leonard Cohen, the song was initially overlooked, especially in the U.S. where it was never released as a single. It’s unfortunate, because Cohen toiled over the song to the point of obsession.
“'Hallelujah' was obviously an itch to scratch for Cohen, who drafted 80-some verses and tortured himself over the lyrics, famously sitting in his underwear at New York’s Royalton Hotel, notebook in hand, banging his head on the floor,” Louder writes.
“To find that song, that urgent song, takes a lot of versions,” Cohen once said in an interview with SongTalk, per the outlet, “and a lot of work and a lot of sweat.”
The song was given its due a decade later when Buckley got ahold of it. He released the track on his only album, Grace, and elevated the lyrics with electric guitar, “starting out rich, sad and slow, then blossoming into a shimmering instrumental passage that stopped all the clocks,” Louder writes.
That build echoes Buckley’s interpretation of the song, which differs from Cohen’s religious-focused intent. “Whoever listens closely to ‘Hallelujah’ will discover that it is a song about sex, about love, about life on earth,” Buckley once said. “It’s an ode to life and love.”
The song became a touchstone of Buckley’ live performances. He would close every show with it, bringing fans to their knees. But there was one person he hoped would never hear his version. And that was Cohen himself.
Others disagree. Like Buckley’s one-time collaborator Gary Lucas who said, “There’s a spiritual quality in 'Hallelujah' that touches people. There’s a holy quality in that song. But it’s like they said about Sinatra: Jeff could have sung the phone book and made it sound great.”
Buckley’s cover of Cohen’s song saw delayed chart success. According to Billboard, the critically acclaimed cover first reached the charts in 2008, topping Digital Song Sales after American Idolcontestant Jason Castro performed it on the show.
Following Cohen’s death in 2016, Buckley’s version reentered the charts, soaring to No. 10 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, with Cohen’s original reaching the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time.
“Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ has also become a pop-culture staple, featured in numerous film and TV shows, including episodes of The O.C. and The West Wing,” Billboard shares. The track and its artist are explored in depth in Sony Pictures' near-perfect 2025 documentary, It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley.
View this post on InstagramSince the song’s conception, it has been covered more than 500 times, with Buckley’s version serving as the most iconic. It was inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry, after all. However, further key iterations include covers by k.d. lang, Rufus Wainwright, and John Cale.
No matter whose version you prefer, we have to first give thanks for Cohen, but then also praise Buckley, who died of an accidental drowning in 1997 at the age of 30, but not before transforming a beautiful but forgotten song into a timeless standard.
1968 Rock Classic Was Recorded 58 Years Ago Today
The Jimi Hendrix Experience's celebrated hit “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," off the band's 1968 record, Electric Ladyland, was recorded on May 3, 1968, as reported by Classic Rock WMGK 102.9.
Famed classic rock engineer Eddie Kramer discussed the recording of "Voodoo Chile," off the same record, and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" in a behind-the-scenes interview.
According to Kramer, the band's frontman, Jimi Hendrix, came up with "Voodoo Chile" because he "wanted to jam" with a set of musicians, specifically guitarist and keyboard player Steve Winwood and Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady. Kramer said that Hendrix was able to convince Winwood and Casady to record with him after seeing them perform together. The Electric Ladyland recording engineer complimented both Winwood and Casady for elevating the song and their ability to play off of Hendrix's expert guitar skills.
He then shared “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" was recorded "a day or so after" "Voodoo Chile." Kramer stated that the two songs complement each other and act as the acclaimed record's "book ends," despite being "complete opposites." He explained that while "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" "is structured," "Voodoo Chile" has a "loose, open feel" that Hendrix, who died at the age of 27 in 1970, preferred.
Stevie Ray Vaughan Famously Covered 'Voodoo Child (Slight Return)'The 1968 song was famously covered by blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who died in 1990 at the age of 35, for his 1984 album, Couldn't Stand The Weather. In a 1985 interview, Vaughan spoke about his appreciation for Hendrix. While he dismissed that he and Hendrix were similar in their guitar playing, he said they both enjoyed performing exactly what they wanted.
"Well, basically there's one similarity. He played everything that he ever heard that excited him. I play everything I ever heard excited me. And obviously, I do respect him very, very much," said Vaughan in the 1985 interview.
Meet the 21 Stars Who Won't Return to the Met Gala
The Met Gala is fashion's biggest night, but not all stars look forward to the famous "First Monday in May" fête.
Anna Wintour has curated the elite and iron-clad guest list for more than three decades, but numerous celebrities have never made an appearance: Angelina Jolie, Adele, Britney Spears (even in her heyday), Dolly Parton, Dwayne Johnson, Brad Pitt, Mariah Carey, everyone in the cast ofFriends (yes, even Jennifer Aniston) and even Leonardo DiCaprio are among the A-listers who've never bothered attending, though it's unknown if any of them were ever invited.
It costs tens of thousands of dollars for most to attend (though some stars and up-and-coming designers get freebies). Once you get there, don't expect to sit next to your boo, because no one gets a plus-one unless their guest is also famous—and even if they are, you won't be side-by-side at the party, and at times not even at the same table.
"Never seat spouses next to each other," former Wintour assistant Sylvana Ward Durrett said in the documentary The First Monday in May, which chronicles the planning and behind-the-scenes action of the Met Gala. "The whole point of these things is to meet new people, and to be interested in what others are doing. What's the point if you come here to hang out with your husband?" (As it turns out, a lot of guests hate this, but more on that later.)
"A lot of thought goes into who sits next to who, if they sat together last year, if they've sat next to each other at other events, so much goes into it, it's shocking," Ward Durrett added. "A lot of power-brokering."
According to some Met Gala attendees, those dates who can't get in may not be missing much. Even some of the stars who've made it past the proverbial velvet rope have admitted that the party—which benefits the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute—sort of sucks.
From complaints about the food, the company, the conversation—and perhaps most crucially—the bar, these stars also hated their Met Gala experiences. But with Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams co-chairing the 2026 Met Gala, maybe guests will have a better time this year.
Related: Anna Wintour's Net Worth in 2026 Is Fit for a Met Gala Queen
Celebrities Who Hate the Met Gala1. Regé-Jean Page Regé-Jean Page at the 2025 Met GalaPhoto by Dimitrios Kambouris on Getty Images
Regé-Jean Page felt awkward at the Met Gala, which he attended for the first time in 2022, then again in 2025. He met his You, Me, & Tuscany co-star Halle Bailey at the latter and said she was a (social) life saver for him.
"What no one tells you about the Met Gala is that everyone, almost everyone, is on their own," the Bridgerton alum explained to Esquire. "There's the most glamorous room, the most exclusive echelon of society, all utterly lost and alone and searching for connection. You’re dressed as well as you’re ever going to be dressed, but you’re also in a very vulnerable place, ready to lean on your costar immediately."
Related: Every Star Who's Admitted To Using Ozempic, Wegovy and Other Weight Loss Drugs (So Far)
2. Lili Reinhart Lili Reinhart at the 2021 Met GalaPhoto by Sean Zanni on Getty Images
Hustlers and Riverdale star Lili Reinhart attended the Met Gala several times, but said that 2021 would likely be her last after she criticized Kim Kardashian bragging about losing weight to fit into Marilyn Monroe's famous gown in 2022.
"To openly admit to starving yourself for the sake of the Met Gala," she fumed in an Instagram Story at the time. "When you know very well that millions of young men and women are looking up to you and listening to your every word. The ignorance is otherworldly disgusting."
That October, she said in an interview with W Magazine, "[The Met Gala] was fun, but after going again this year, I don't think I'll be invited back. I said a certain something about a certain person in a certain dress."
Reinhart—who's long been open about her own struggles with anxiety and body image—added, "I have always wanted to stand for something, and while I don't like it if one comment by me turns into 17 articles in PEOPLE magazine, I never overthink what I post. It has to be a true representation of how I feel. And I would say that whether I had 100 followers or 100 million."
Related: See All of Kim Kardashian's Met Gala Looks Ever
3. Ashley Park Ashley Park at the 2022 Met GalaPhoto by ANGELA WEISS on Getty Images
Ashley Park said that the 2022 and 2023 Met Galas were unpleasant for her, but each for different reasons—and neither of which was necessarily about the Met Ball itself.
She told PEOPLE of the 2022 Met Gala (her first ever), "I had a really bad sinuscold, so I think I was on, like, every over-the-counter medication that you could be on. I was on like, eight Advil like four times."
Ashley Park (with Jared Leto in the background at far right) at the 2023 Met GalaPhoto by Christopher Polk on Getty Images
Similar to what he did as the Joker in Suicide Squad, Jared Leto sort of ruined the 2023 Met Gala for her when he dressed as the lateKarl Lagerfeld'scat Choupette, and walked the red carpet at the same time as she did.
Jared Leto and Ashley Park at the 2023 Met GalaPhoto by Jamie McCarthy on Getty Images
"Jared Leto and his cat outfit, like, was a torment to me," the Emily in Parisstar, who was wearing Michael Kors that evening, lamented. "Like, I have no photos from that, from those stairs without Jared Leto revealing himself as a cat ... I was like, 'Please let me just get one good picture for [Kors].' "
Related: Ashley Park’s Net Worth in 2026 From ‘Emily in Paris,’ ‘Mean Girls’ and More
4. SZA SZA at the 2022 Met GalaPhoto by Jamie McCarthy on Getty Images
Singer SZA confessed to Community Voices that attending the 2022 Met Gala was bad for her mental health because she felt so insecure.
"I hated my outfit," the "Kill Bill" singer, who wore a hot pink and black custom Vivienne Westwood Couture ensemble. "That was another mental health thing. You want to do your job, you want to show up, and all these people are excited for you to be there, but it's like, 'Damn, I don't feel confident,' or 'I don't feel comfortable,' or it's like, 'Oh, if my dress doesn't fit…,' and then there's all this weird comparison, and it's really unhealthy. And it's like, 'Damn, some people, like Lizzo, can have a really good time regardless of what is happening.'"
SZA was so miserable that she left early.
"I just tiptoed a couple blocks and caught a yellow cab back to my hotel because I was just overwhelmed," she admitted. "I had too much anxiety to wait for my cab in front of the crowd, and take pictures, and all those things. I didn't want to do that, so I was looking like a little dirty Cinderella running away with my shoes."
SZA and Lizzo at a 2024 Met Gala afterpartyPhoto by Gotham on Getty Images
Although the Met Gala itself isn't SZA's cup of tea, she still attended the 2024 Met Gala afterparties with Lizzo, and it looks like they had a fantastic time without all the pressures of the red carpet.
Related: ‘Good Days’ Indeed! SZA’s Net Worth in 2026 Is Anything but a ‘Snooze’
5. Lizzo Lizzo at the 2022 Met GalaPhoto by Noam Galai on Getty Images
While Lizzo may have been confident at the 2022 Met Gala, per SZA, she vented on Instagram Live that the party was pretty terrible.
"There's a long f**king line, you've gotta wait. I was sweating in a big-a** coat, my feet were hurting," she said.
Lizzo said that once she got inside, the party didn't have chairs, cocktails or hors d'oeuvres, and, most egregiously, that the bar was bad, too.
"They were being really stingy with the liquor that night," she revealed. "[The bartender] was like, 'Red or white wine?' And I was like, 'Tequila! Do you know what I've been through? Do you know how many hours I've been in this corset? How long I've been in these damn shoes? Tequila!'"
Lizzo at the 2025 Met GalaPhoto by Arturo Holmes/MG25 on Getty Images
All that said, Lizzo is still a Met Gala regular and has affectionately called it a "prom for celebrities."
6. Billie Eilish Billie Eilish at the 2021 Met GalaPhoto by Kevin Mazur/MG21 on Getty Images
Billie Eilish co-chaired the 2021 Met Gala, but said she found the entire experience very reminiscent of high school.
She explained toHoward Stern that December, "The main thing that night made me think or feel was how famous people are just literally nobodies. Just randos, and it's so weird. I was like, 'Wow, all these people are just somebody that's in class with you,' and you think this person's kinda annoying, you really like this person, you get along with this person, and everybody's just, like, embarrassed and insecure about what they're doing and saying."
Finneas and Billie Eilish at the 2023 Met GalaPhoto by Gilbert Carrasquillo on Getty Images
Fair enough—but she came back for more in 2022 and 2023, so it can't be that bad, right?
Related: Billie Eilish’s Net Worth in 2026and How the Grammy Winner Built It
7. Lourdes Leon Lourdes Leon at the 2021 Met GalaMadonna and ex Carlos Leon's daughter Lourdes Leon attended the 2021 Met Gala and felt it was awkward and boring.
"Maybe because it was my first time, but it felt crazy," she complained to Interview Magazine. "You're just shoved into a room with all these famous people and you’re supposed to talk to them and be their friend, even though you don't f**king know them. That's not my vibe."
The nepo baby added, "I'm sure it's fun if you're someone who is friends with a lot of famous people, but I'm not. I didn't know who the f**k to talk to. I felt so awkward that I literally called my boyfriend in the middle of it. But the dinner was fine."
Related: How a ‘Toxic’ Madonna Meltdown Ended Her Friendship with Gwyneth Paltrow: ‘She’s Awful’
8. Quannah Chasinghorse Quannah Chasinghorse at the 2021 Met GalaPhoto by Kevin Mazur/MG21 on Getty Images
Climate activist and Indigenous model Quannah Chasinghorse hated the 2021 Met Gala for the exact opposite reasons Leon did.
Chasinghorse lamented to Business Insider, "It was just such a weird space to be in. I remember standing there and looking at everyone and feeling so alone. Like, really, really lonely. No one knew me. No one cared to ask. People are there for themselves and it shows."
She explained that she was there somewhat in protest of the year's theme, "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," because of the United States colonizers' genocides against Indigenous Americans, but that wearing her turquoise and silver jewelry and facial tattoos helped her channel her ancestors and feel strong.
"No way am I celebrating America. If I were to celebrate anything it would be my Indigenous roots, my Indigeneity, who I am. Because of what America did to my people, I am proud to be here today," she said. "I just don't think I belong in spaces like that because I'm not an elitist. My way of walking in this world, in the industry, is so different compared to everyone else because I feel like I'm constantly having to break barriers."
Quannah Chasinghorse at the 2023 Met GalaPhoto by Lexie Moreland on Getty Images
Still, she returned to the Met Gala in 2023 and 2024, hanging out with Oscar-nominatedKillers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone at the latter.
Lily Gladstone and Quannah Chasinghorse at the 2024 Met GalaPhoto by Arturo Holmes/MG24 on Getty Images
She told Nylon ahead of the 2024 Met Gala, where she wore custom H&M inspired by the Alaska state flower (forget-me-not), "My first year going, I did this article explaining that when you're in those spaces and you don't see anyone who looks like you, you're just kind of alone and you don't feel like you belong. And we've come so far from that. And the fact that I'm going for my fourth time, it's an honor and it's a blessing that I keep getting invited back to these spaces."
"I've actually talked to quite a few people who have told me it's their first year going," she added. "You get the nerves, but it's really nice to be able to be almost like a safe space for someone. It's really cool to have a bit more experience in those spaces ... I know that if I had someone I could go to, just how these people are coming to me, I would've felt a lot more relaxed and a lot more like I belonged."
Related: 21 Inspiring Activist Accounts to Follow to Learn About Indigenous American People, Issues and Life
9. Billy Porter Billy Porter at the 2019 Met GalaPhoto by ANGELA WEISS on Getty Images
Honestly, Billy Porter absolutely slayed the 2019 Met Gala theme of "Notes on Camp": Adorned in head-to-toe gold, complete with wings and headdress, the Pose star had shirtless men carry him onto the red carpet to celebrate the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit of Egyptian art.
Then he never went back.
When asked on Bevelations if he would attend the 2026 Met Gala, Porter replied, "No, I'm not going. I have not been invited. I haven't been invited back since 2019."
Porter, who pointed out that Ryan Murphy invited him to the 2019 Met Gala, said he was particularly miffed when he wasn't invited in 2025, which celebrated Black Dandyism and the theme "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style."
"I'm just going to throw that out there. I'm good. It's all good," he said. "But the reality is when people ask me, you need to know I was not invited and I'm good, and I don't go to places where I'm not welcome."
Noting that he doesn't require "validation from the outside" to know his worth as a person, he added, "So I'm going to sit and live in that, because it helps keep me sane too."
That said, Porter has a history with Wintour.
In a 2021 interview with the Sunday Times, Porter griped that having Harry Styles wear a dress on the December 2020 cover of Vogue—the first man to ever be the fashion bible's cover model—rubbed him the wrong way, because other men and nonbinary people have been taking risks with their clothes for a much longer time.
"I feel like the fashion industry has accepted me because they have to. I created the conversation and yet Vogue still put Harry Styles, a straight white man, in a dress on their cover for the first time," he said. "I was the first one doing it and now everybody is doing it. I'm not dragging Harry Styles, but … He doesn't care, he's just doing it because it's the thing to do. This is politics for me. This is my life."
The following month, Porter apologized to Styles for the remark and gave further context of his words in a sit-down on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
"It is about the systems of oppression and erasure of people of color who contribute to the culture," he explained. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean no harm. I'm a gay man. We like Harry. He's cute."
In a 2023 interview with the Telegraph, Porter said that putting "white and straight" Styles on the December 2020 Vogue was a mistake that he warned Wintour about prior to its release.
"It doesn't feel good to me. You're using my community—or your people are using my community—to elevate you. You haven't had to sacrifice anything," he said of his feelings of Styles on the cover.
He added that the perpetually-bobbed editrix asked him for insight before publishing the issue.
"That b***h said to me at the end, 'How can we do better?' And I was so taken off guard that I didn't say what I should have said," Porter recalled. "Six months later, Harry Styles is the first man on the cover."
"It's not Harry Styles' fault that he happens to be white and cute and straight and fit into the infrastructure that way," he added. "I call out the gatekeepers."
He said that he wished he told Wintour, "'Use your power as Vogue to uplift the voices of the leaders of this de-gendering of fashion movement.'"
Related: All About ‘Pose’ Star Billy Porter’s Net Worth in 2026
10. Ben Platt Ben Platt at the 2017 Met GalaPhoto by Taylor Hill on Getty Images
Broadway star Ben Platt went to the Met Gala for the first time in 2017 and, like Chasinghorse, felt a bit lonely.
"You're not allowed to bring a plus one, so the first time I went, I did a lap around the cocktails and tried to find somebody I knew and then failed and sort of left," he said on the Jess Cagle Show. "And [I] didn't make it through the event because I was like, 'I don't really have anybody to talk to.'"
Ben Platt and Noah Galvin at the 2024 Met GalaPhoto by Cindy Ord/MG24 on Getty Images
Since then, he's returned for several more and had a much better time—he attended with his now-husband Noah Galvin in 2024!
11. Demi Lovato Demi Lovato at the 2016 Met GalaPhoto by Neilson Barnard on Getty Images
Demi Lovato, who has been open about her battles with eating disorders and addiction, was nearly triggered to relapse with alcohol when she attended the 2016 Met Gala.
"I had a terrible experience. This one celebrity was a complete bitch and was miserable to be around," the "Tell Me You Love Me" singer told Billboard. "It was very cliquey. I remember being so uncomfortable that I wanted to drink."
Thankfully, Lovato instead beelined to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in lieu of hitting up any afterparties.
"I changed my clothes, but I still had my diamonds on," she recalled. "Millions of dollars of diamonds on in an AA meeting—and I related more to the homeless people in that meeting who struggled with the same struggles that I deal with than the people at the Met Gala—fake and sucking the fashion industry's d—k."
Demi Lovato at the 2024 Met GalaPhoto by Theo Wargo/GA on Getty Images
Perhaps celebrating her newfound confidence after tying the knot with husband Jordan "Jutes" Lutes, the "Confident" singer did return to the Met Gala in 2024 with designer Prabal Gurung, but hasn't been back again since.
Related: Demi Lovato Is ‘Sorry, Not Sorry’ About Her Net Worth in 2026
12. Zayn Malik Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik at the 2016 Met GalaPhoto by Dimitrios Kambouris on Getty Images
Zayn Malik also had a bad time at the 2016 Met Gala, which he attended on the arm of his then-girlfriend, supermodel and fashion industry fixture Gigi Hadid.
"I did go, but I didn't go there to be like, 'Yo, take me serious,' " the "Pillow Talk" singer told GQ in 2018. "I was taking the piss! I went there as my favorite Mortal Kombat character, Jax." (It does track, given the metal arm!)
"The Met Gala is not necessarily anything that I ever knew about or was about, but my [former] stylist would say to me, 'This is really good for you to do,'" he added, conveniently avoiding accountability. "And no matter how strong you are mentally, you can always be swayed to do certain things."
Though he admitted that Hadid "stole the night" with her look, he noted, "Now, it's not something I would go to. I'd rather be sitting at my house, doing something productive, than dressing up in really expensive clothes and being photographed on a red carpet. To do the self-indulgent 'Look at me, I'm amazing' thing on the red carpet, it's not me."
Related: From Gigi Hadid to Frank Ocean, These 100 Celebrities Actually Have Different Real Names
13. Lena Dunham Lena Dunham at the 2016 Met GalaPhoto by Rabbani and Solimene Photography on Getty Images
Lena Dunham had a bad time at the 2016 Met Gala because of her own attitude: She projected quite racist tropes onto NFL star Odell Beckham, Jr. for no reason.
"I was sitting next to Odell Beckham Jr., and it was so amazing because it was like he looked at me and he determined I was not the shape of a woman by his standards. He was like: 'That's a marshmallow. That's a child. That's a dog.' It wasn't mean. He just seemed confused," she wrote in her erstwhile Lenny Letter (via the New York Times). "[His] vibe was very much like, 'Do I want to f**k it? Is it wearing a … yep, it's wearing a tuxedo. I'm going to go back to my cell phone.' It was like we were forced to be together, and he literally was scrolling Instagram rather than have to look at a woman in a bow tie. I was like, 'This should be called the Metropolitan Museum of Getting Rejected by Athletes.'"
Beckham Jr. issued a classier response than the remark deserved, and Dunham apologized several times for her comments, which she said were attempts at humor.
"I went ahead and projected these insecurities and made totally narcissistic assumptions about what he was thinking, then presented those assumptions as facts," she wrote on Instagram (via PEOPLE). "I feel terrible about it. Because after listening to lots of valid criticism, I see how unfair it is to ascribe misogynistic thoughts to someone I don't know AT ALL. Like, we have never met, I have no idea the kind of day he's having or what his truth is."
She returned to attend Met Galas in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and is part of the hosting committee for 2026.
14. Amy Schumer Amy Schumer at the 2016 Met GalaPhoto by James Devaney on Getty Images
OK, there was seriously something in the water at the 2016 Met Gala, because a lot of people hated it that year. Amy Schumer attended and detested the entire experience, calling it a "punishment."
"It's people doing an impression of having a conversation," the Kinda Pregnant star complained in a 2016 Howard Stern interview (via Yahoo!). "I don't like the farce. We're dressed up like a bunch of f**king a**holes. I don't like it. I have no interest in fashion. I don't care."
Amy Schumer at the 2022 Met GalaPhoto by Dimitrios Kambouris on Getty Images
Curiously, she still returned to the Met Gala the following year, as well as in 2022.
Related: Inside Amy Schumer’s Net Worth in 2026 and How She Earned It, From Stand-Up to Movie Stardom
15. Graydon Carter Graydon Carter at the 2014 Met GalaPhoto by Ray Tamarra on Getty Images
Former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter went to his last Met Gala in 2014, saying that Wintour's soiree "wasn't [his] thing" anymore.
"I mean, Halloween-type costumes. They might as well come dressed as SpongeBob," he told the New York Times, adding that New York City's Greenwich Village Halloween parade "was classier, a better class of people." "
Carter, who famously hosted the Vanity Fair Oscar parties until his retirement in 2017, explained, "In the old days you'd go and you'd sit beside an architect or a writer, and now it's all influencers and Kardashians. We never let a Kardashian into our parties."
Related: Keeping Up With the Kardashians' Net Worth: How Much Money Kim, Kylie and Their Siblings Really Have
16. Jay Z JAY Z and Beyoncé at the 2014 Met GalaPhoto by Kevin Mazur on Getty Images
Oh come on, who doesn't remember the elevator incident?
Solange Knowles roughed up JAY Z in an elevator en route to a Met Gala afterparty in 2014, all while Beyoncé looked on, seemingly in silence—and it was all caught on video and released to TMZ. While the Brooklyn native hasn't spoken about what happened there or about his feelings regarding the Met Gala as a whole, actions may speak louder than words.
JAY Z and Beyoncé at the 2015 Met GalaPhoto by Rabbani and Solimene Photography on Getty Images
While we still don't know what it was about or exactly what went down, we do know that Hov only returned to the Met Gala one time since: In 2015, JAY-Z, Queen Bey and Solange all attended in what was very likely a deliberate show of solidarity to quell rumors of marital strife between the Carters.
Meanwhile, the "Single Ladies" singer attended solo in 2016 and the "Cranes in the Sky" crooner came back in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Considering Beyoncé is a co-chair for 2026, the "Public Service Announcement" emcee may make his comeback after more than a decade—because EVERYTHING IS LOVE now.
Related: He’s Got 99 Problems, but His Wealth Ain’t One! Jay-Z’s Massive Net Worth in 2026
17. Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Paltrow at the 2013 Met GalaPhoto by Randy Brooke on Getty Images
Gwyneth Paltrow complained about the Met Gala in 2013 shortly after the soiree.
"It sucked. It seems like it's the best thing in the world, you always think, 'Oh my God, it's gonna be so glamorous and amazing, and you're going to see all these people!'" the Oscar winner said in a radio interview (via Us Weekly). "And then you get there, and it's so hot and it's so crowded and everyone's pushing you."
She added of that year's theme, "I think we're all a bit old to dress up punk. I just went as kind of normal."
Paltrow also griped to USA Today, "It was so un-fun. It was boiling. It was too crowded. I did not enjoy it at all ... I'm never going again."
Gwyneth Paltrow at the 2017 Met GalaPhoto by Gilbert Carrasquillo on Getty Images
Still, the Goop founder has since returned to subsequent Met Galas in 2017 and 2019. In a newsletter in 2026, she admitted having a "love/hate relationship" with the Met Gala overall, explaining that she also hates the "costume" themes.
"I'm me—so I'm never going to the Met Ball in like, a hot dog costume or whatever, you know?" she wrote, potentially referring to Katy Perry'shamburger outfit from 2019. "I always have to be myself, first and foremost. Like, I'm not going in a costume; I'm going in a dress."
That's fair, but ... why not just go somewhere else?
Related: Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals She Got Fired From Her First Job at Age 12
18. Tina Fey Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond at the 2010 Met GalaPhoto by Dimitrios Kambouris on Getty Images
Tina Fey went to the Met Gala in 2010 with her husband Jeff Richmond, and neither of them had fun.
"I have gone to it once and it is such a jerk parade. Clearly, I'll never go again, but you go, and it's this beautiful space, and it's just every jerk from every walk of life is there wearing some stupid thing," she toldDavid Letterman. "I went and I dragged my husband along with me too, which I'm still in trouble for."
Fey is one of the only stars who've kvetched about the Met Gala who hasn't actually returned. We respect her lack of hypocrisy here.
Related: Jack McBrayer Reveals the ’30 Rock’ Relics at His House–Yes, He Still Has a Page Uniform (Exclusive)
19. Azzedine Alaïa Azzedine Alaïa and Stephanie SeymourPhoto by Rabbani and Solimene Photography on Getty Images
Late fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa boycotted the Met Gala in 2009 after none of his works were featured in that year's Costume Institute "Model as Muse" exhibit.
He requested supermodels Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Stephanie Seymour not to wear the gowns he made for them for the event, and all three opted to skip the Gala entirely in solidarity with Alaïa that year.
Griping that Wintour had "too much power" over the Costume Institute (which her team denied), he noted to the New York Times, "It would have been silly to have seven girls wearing my dresses at the party and not have anything of mine in the exhibit."
Alaïa, who never walked the Met Gala red carpet himself despite dressing numerous models and stars for it, died in 2017.
Related: 3 Foods Anna Wintour Banned From the Met Gala
20. Jennifer Garner Valentino Garavani and Jennifer Garner at the 2007 Met GalaPhoto by Patrick McMullan on Getty Images
Jennifer Garner looked stunning at the 2007 Met Gala ... and never wanted to go again.
"I went to the Met ball exactly one time," the Alias star told Vogue in 2023. "I found it a little scary, so I haven't been back. I wore that night, this magical red Valentino gown, and I was his date and that was really majestic and special."
Like Fey, Garner has stuck to her guns.
Related: ‘I Tried Jennifer Garner’s Favorite Childhood Pie, and It’s a True Slice of Heaven’
21. Tim Gunn Tim GunnPhoto by John Lamparski on Getty Images
While Tim Gunn hasn't publicly complained about the Met Gala itself, it's because Wintour banned the Project Runway alum from the annual event entirely.
"I was asked what is the most unforgettable thing I've ever seen in fashion, and I said, 'It's easy. It was watching Anna Wintour being carried down five flights of stairs by two bodyguards—two big, hulking men—from a fashion show," Gunn recalled in a 2016 interview with Melissa Rivers. "Well, all Hell broke loose. It was insane. So we've had an open war ever since."