Karl Lagerfeld's beloved cat Choupette couldn't make the trip to New York City for the Met Gala, but she was still represented on the red carpet. Actor Jared Leto showed up wearing a giant cat costume, which he then took off to reveal an all-black look with a flowing cape. This year's Met Gala theme is "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," which is also the name of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute's 2023 exhibit.
Choupette was invited to the event, but she regrettably turned down the invitation, according to her agent, Lucas Bérullier. "Many people invited me to walk the red carpet of the #METGALA2023 in tribute to Daddy, but we preferred to stay peacefully & cozy at home," read a statement published on Choupette's Instagram account. "We pay tribute to my Daddy every day since his parting and we are very moved to see one more day dedicated to him." Of course, Choupette has her own Instagram page with over 171,000 followers.
The Birman cat and Lagerfeld were inseparable until his death in 2019. She was born on Aug. 15, 2011, and was originally owned by model Baptiste Giabiconi, reports The New York Times. Lagerfeld became infatuated with the cat and she was a beloved member of his entourage. In 2013, Lagerfeld even told CNN he wished it was legal to marry an animal. "There is no marriage, yet, for human beings and animals... I never thought I would fall in love like this with a cat," he said.
Choupette now lives in Paris with Lagerfeld's former housekeeper, Françoise Caçote. Based on her Instagram page, she is still living a life of luxury. She would probably be a fan of Leto's outfit, which shocked attendees and observers at home.
'Jared Leto under the catsuit was the most logical answer'
(Photo: John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images)
"Honestly Jared Leto under the catsuit was the most logical answer," one Twitter user wrote.
Before Leto took off the head of his cat costume, he met Lizzo. She was shocked to be hugging a giant cat, leading to several hilarious photos of the two.
Choupette meets Anne Hathaway and Salma Hayek Pinault
(Photo: Noam Galai/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
"Jared Leto continues his deep method acting portraying the role of a celebrity named Jared Leto who is truly exhausting to experience," one person wrote.
Leto was unsurprisingly not the only celebrity to pay tribute to Choupette. Singer Doja Cat wore intricate face makeup to make herself look like a cat, even adding cat ears to her dress.
