Stand up for the facts!

Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.

More Info

I would like to contribute

Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu May 10, 2024

Perfect illusion: Viral images don’t show Lady Gaga at 2024 Met Gala

If Your Time is short

  • Singer Lady Gaga did not attend the 2024 Met Gala. These photos were generated by artificial intelligence.

Did Lady Gaga wow attendees of New York’s 2024 Met Gala in two different flamboyant costumes? Or are they just a perfect illusion, to borrow the singer’s lyrics?

One viral May 5 Facebook post appears to show Lady Gaga in a coiled cream dress resembling New York City’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. "MOTHER GAGA HAS ARRIVED!!!," the post’s caption said. Another May 7 Facebook post appears to show Lady Gaga posing for photos in a bejeweled green ball gown. The same images have been shared by several accounts, and also shared on Threads and Instagram

The posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Threads, and Instagram.)

Although these costumes are stunning, there is one glaring problem: Lady Gaga did not attend the 2024 Met Gala. Several news outlets reported about the "Poker Face" singer’s absence on the cream-and-green carpet May 6.

There is also a timeline problem: the Met Gala was May 6, but the image of Lady Gaga in the cream dress was first shared on May 5.

Sign up for PolitiFact texts

The images are generated by artificial intelligence, and Lady Gaga was not the only one targeted. PolitiFact has debunked similar claims about AI-generated photos of Rihanna and Katy Perry, neither of whom attended this year’s charity benefit.

Featured Fact-check

We rate the claim that these images show Lady Gaga at the 2024 Met Gala Pants on Fire!

RELATED: No, this image doesn’t show Rihanna at the 2024 Met Gala

RELATED: AI-generated images of Katy Perry at 2024 Met Gala fool social media users, Perry’s mother

Our Sources

Elle, Why Lady Gaga Skipped the 2024 Met Gala, May 6, 2024

Harper's Bazaar, Why Lady Gaga Skipped the 2024 Met Gala, May 6, 2024

PolitiFact, No, this image doesn’t show Rihanna at the 2024 Met Gala

PolitiFact, AI-generated images of Katy Perry at 2024 Met Gala fool social media users, Perry’s mother, May 7, 2024

Facebook post (archived link), May 5, 2024

Facebook post (archived link), May 5, 2024

Facebook post (archived link), May 7, 2024

Threads post (archived link), May 6, 2024

Instagram post (archived link), May 9, 2024



 

Browse the Truth-O-Meter

More by Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu

Perfect illusion: Viral images don’t show Lady Gaga at 2024 Met Gala

Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!

In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.

Sign me up