MUMBAI: Katy Perry’s name lit up social media during this year’s Met Gala but with a familiar twist. For the second year running, AI-generated photos of the pop star strutting the blue carpet went viral, fooling fans and sparking a wave of online buzz.
The singer herself couldn’t resist joining the conversation, taking to Instagram to poke fun at the situation. Sharing the striking AI images – which show her in a sleek black dress that perfectly matches this year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” – Katy reminded fans that she wasn’t actually at the event.
“Couldn’t make it to the MET, I’m on The Lifetimes Tour (see you in Houston tomorrow IRL),” she wrote. Adding with a wink, “P.S. this year I was actully with my mom so she;s safe from the bots but I’m praying for the rest of y’all.”
Her husband Orlando Bloom joined the fun, commenting, “Not once but twice (laughing emoji) still got it (fire emoji),” referring to last year’s AI mix-up that even fooled Katy’s own mother. In 2024, a fake image of her in a floral ballgown matching the Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion theme had also gone viral. Back then, Katy shared a screenshot of her mom’s message: “Didn’t know you went to the Met …what a gorgeous gown,” to which she cheekily replied, “Mom, the A.I. got you too, beware.”
While Katy sat out the Met again this year – focusing on her Lifetimes Tour promoting her 2024 album 143 – stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Rihanna, and Priyanka Chopra took over the real carpet. The event, co-chaired by ASAP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, and Colman Domingo, honored the influence of Black style in fashion history.
For now, Katy’s busy lighting up stages across North America, with her tour heading next to Houston. But clearly, even when she’s not at the Met, AI is making sure she still makes headlines.
