Katy Perry last attended the Met Gala in 2022, and she has an important reason why she decided to skip this year.
AI-generated photos of Perry at the 2024 Met Gala went viral on X, tricking her fans even when she was absent at the event. The snaps in question showed the "Dark Horse" singer wearing jaw-dropping flower-filled gowns, but the public was left disappointed after discovering that the American Idol judge has been busy making new music.
PopBase shared a video showing Perry singing in the studio on Monday, May 6, night.
She eventually shared the photo on her Instagram page, announcing her absence from the MET Gala because she "had to work."
"Didn't know you went to the Met," a message from her mom read. "What a gorgeous gown, you look like the Rose Parade, you are your float lol."
"Lol mom the AI got you too, BEWARE," Perry responded.
Visual Communication expert TJ Thomson also explained to Yahoo! Lifestyle the obvious signs the photos were AI-generated.
"Context is crucial. When viewed quickly on a small screen while doomscrolling on social media, it's easy to mistake the image as a real one," said Thompson. "When you pause and zoom in, though, the internal logic of the image starts to unravel. The people and gear in the background don't look right. Faces and gear are distorted or proportions aren't realistic. These are some giveaways of the current abilities of AI generation technologies."
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Despite missing the event, Perry's previous Met Gala outfits made rounds online.
In 2019, she surprised the attendees of the event when she transformed into a walking chandelier that featured illuminated candles. She completed the look with another chandelier headpiece.
Perry also attended an afterparty while wearing a hamburger ensemble.
Her absence came after she announced her exit from American Idol due to her desire to return to making music again. She told Entertainment Tonight that she wanted "to make space for other things."
American Idol has not named her replacement, but several artists have been linked to the gig, including Jelly Roll, Doja Cat, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Jordin Sparks, Dua Lipa, Kelly Clarkson and Miley Cyrus, to name a few.
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