Emmy-Winning Star Covers Her Face With Dollar Bill Mask at the Met Gala

Sarah Paulson made a statement with her unexpected 2026 Met Gala look.

The Emmy winner, 52, arrived at Monday’s Metropolitan Museum of Art fundraiser, themed “Fashion is Art,” wearing designer Matières Fécales’ fall/winter 2026 “The One Percent” haute couture. The look featured a leather “Blinded by Money” mask that made it appear that the actress had been blindfolded by a dollar bill, and paired it with the Destroyed Tulle Debutante Ballgown.

“Fashion is Art and at its most daring, Political,” Fécales wrote of the look on Instagram, adding that “the collection was a reflection of the greed and corruption that comes with extreme power.”

The designer concluded by thanking Paulson and her team for “being fearless with us and for supporting our independent vision on such a powerful night.”

Despite the public statement, Paulson’s look earned some backlash from those who saw it as tone deaf, pointing out on social media that Met Gala tickets go for a reported $75,000 and that the entire event was sponsored by the world’s third-richest man, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and his wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos.

“The look is exceptional but the statement is a hollow platitude. The only way to deliver this statement earnestly would be by not going,” one person commented on Fécales’ Instagram post, as another agreed, “Her absence would have meant more.”

A third added, “Ironic as this year’s hosts were the Bezos…” as yet another commenter chimed in, “This statement has no impact when you’re there breaking bread with the 1%….”

The look also had its defenders, as Fécales’ Instagram account reposted a positive video from creator IDeserveCouture. “You wanted a statement at the Met Gala? Well, here you go,” the creator said of Paulson’s look. “This show calls out the 1%, and it talks about greed and corruption, and Sarah Paulson is wearing it to an event that is exclusively for the 1%. She was a queen, and she stayed a queen!”