Influencer Haley Kalil has apologized after facing criticism for a TikTok video of herself taken on the night of the 2024 Met Gala.
Last week, the social media star faced criticism online after she posted a video of herself getting dressed up for this year’s Met Gala – which took place in New York City on Monday, May 6. In the clip, which has now been deleted, Kalil was seen wearing an elaborate 18th-century-style dress and headpiece to commemorate the Met Gala’s theme: “Thorny Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
Along with the video, the model chose a sound from Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie-Antoinettein which actress Kirsten Dunst proclaims: “Let them eat cake!”
The viral clip was immediately labelled “insensitive” by online critics, pointing out the irony of the lavish and expensive Met Gala taking place while pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“Girl read the room,” one viewer wrote at the time, while another added, “The sound choice you use is wild. We truly live in a dystopian world.”
Kalil, who has 9.9 million followers on the platform under the username @haleyybaylee, later apologized extensively on TikTok for the controversial clip.
“Hey guys, I know a lot of you want answers from me right now, and I want to give you those answers. Hopefully I can answer all of your questions about what happened Monday night,” she began the video, which has been viewed nearly 30 million times.
In the eight-minute video, Kalil explained that she had been contacted by the EAR! Network is hosting its pre-Met Gala coverage at The Mark Hotel in Manhattan. Although she did not receive an invitation to the exclusive fashion event, where tickets cost $50,000 per person, Sports illustrated The model claimed that she was not near the actual Met Gala.
“The Met is one of the most exclusive events in the entire fashion industry. You have to be personally selected by Anna Wintour to go there,” said Kalil, referring to the fashion Editor-in-chief who carefully reviews every Met Gala guest list. “That’s the only way to get there. I wasn’t invited by Anna Wintour. I didn’t have a real invitation to the Met Gala. I was just there as a host, which meant that as soon as the last attendee left the hotel, I went home and watched the Met Gala coverage from my couch with my friends.”
Kalil said that attending the Met Gala was “one of her biggest dreams” since she was a child, so she jumped at the opportunity to create content for the Met Gala. EAR!She explained that her floral dress and headpiece were also custom designed by her boyfriend Marc Bouwer.
Addressing the backlash to the TikTok audio clip that said “let them eat cake,” the influencer admitted that she would “never” have used the audio clip if she had known it would offend viewers.
“First of all, before I say anything, I have to apologize,” Kalil said. “I’m so, so, so sorry for choosing a sound that you might perceive as malicious. If I had thought for one second that the sound would be received that way, I would never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever have used it.”
Kalil noted that the popular tone was trending on TikTok and was used in more than 110,000 videos. She pointed out that the tone received “no negative feedback” when it was used by makeup artists to showcase their Marie Antoinette-inspired makeup looks, claiming that the tone “really has no deeper meaning.”
“I would never have intentionally chosen a sound to highlight wealth inequality or elitism. I never thought it would be perceived that way because I wasn’t elitist enough to even be invited to the Met Gala because I’m not elitist. I’m a normal person,” the model said. “My silly self just used a sound that I thought was viral and trendy and that people from the Marie-Antoinette Film from 2006. I didn’t think about it that much and I’m very sorry about that. I didn’t do my due diligence.”
Kalil described herself as “so stupid” because she didn’t know how the audio recording would be interpreted in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The United Nations World Food Programme recently warned that some 300,000 people in northern Gaza are suffering from a “full-blown” famine, while the entire Gaza population of 2.3 million is suffering from catastrophic hunger.
“I’m so stupid because the things that are happening in the world today are weighing on the hearts of all people,” Kalil continued. “Innocent men, women and children are dying. People don’t have access to food and water. People are being driven from their homes. There are so many things happening in this world that are just wrong.”
However, the model clarified that she has so far avoided using her platform to discuss the war between Israel and Hamas because she is “not sufficiently informed” to speak about global issues “in a meaningful and educational way.”
“I don’t have the background to teach or debate in a meaningful way,” she said, noting that she rose to internet fame by posting comedic content on social media. Kalil, in particular, went viral last year when she gave a tour of her $17,000-a-month Manhattan apartment.
“I love making videos and that’s how I created my platform. But that doesn’t mean that the second I started gaining followers on the platform, I automatically knew the right things to say about world events, wars, disputes, death, destruction or crises,” she said.
While Kalil stressed that it is her “responsibility” as an influencer to “set a good example” for her audience, she also claimed that “just because someone has a following doesn’t mean they’re necessarily the right person” to speak about certain topics.
“Ultimately, I want to make sure my words are used for good, and if I think I’m not adequately informed about a situation, I try not to comment until I’m sure I’m actually informed and what I’m saying is truthful,” she said.
“Sometimes I’m stupid and sometimes I make mistakes. Sometimes I don’t properly judge how people are going to react or feel about something, and I’m really, really, really, really sorry for that,” Kalil said. “It breaks my heart that a video I posted contributed to all of this. It breaks my heart that a video I posted made someone feel less seen or less heard.”
Despite the backlash, the influencer said she was grateful that her “accidental mistake” sparked an online discussion about “wealth inequality” and “world crisis.”
“It’s my job as a content creator to apologize if I make anyone feel unseen or unheard, even if it’s unintentional. Just understand that I love you guys no matter what. Thank you for being here and thank you for watching the whole video if you made it this far,” Kalil concluded her apology.
