The Met Gala is not for the faint of heart. On the Wednesday, May 7, episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, Anna Wintour revealed that even decorated Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was intimidated by the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art steps. “She told me that walking up the blue carpet was more intimidating than the Olympics,” Wintour, 75, recalled during the interview alongside 2025 Met Gala co-chair A$AP Rocky. “So we’re gonna put a pole vault on the carpet next year,” she joked, before turning to Rocky. “Maybe Rihanna’s going to go into training for the 2028 Olympics. What do you think?
The rapper, who on fashion’s biggest night announced that he and Rihanna were expecting their third child, laughed and replied, “Maybe.” The “Diamonds” singer closed the carpet by showing off her baby bump in a Marc Jacobs look. We all know Simone Biles as the GOAT of gymnastics—a fierce competitor with nerves of steel. But what if we told you she found the glitzy Met Gala more nerve-racking than flipping mid-air on an Olympic stage? Yup, you heard that right. According to Anna Wintour, the queen of fashion herself, Biles confessed that the Met Gala experience shook her more than performing in front of millions across the globe.
Biles, who made her Met Gala debut in 2021, appeared in a custom bright blue bustled minidress from designer Harbison Studio called the Seraphim dress, which featured glittering black ornamentation and a satin finish. She completed the look with towering heels (that she previously joked are at least four or five inches tall), along with a custom version of the brand’s Galaxy Cathedral Train in the same bright color. Owens opted for an all-white Deji & Kola suit with blue accents — including a white gold Margot McKinney Atlantic pendant featuring a 119.44ct aquamarine, a South Sea pearl and several diamonds — and accessorized with a white fur cape and black cane.
The event’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” was inspired by guest curator Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, which explores “the Black dandy as both a concept and an identity signifier.” On the show, Wintour also said that A$AP Rocky and Rihanna, who are parents to sons RZA Athelston, 3 this month, and Riot Rose, 21 months, were hinting at their pregnancy news at a dinner the night before the Met Gala.
“Rihanna and Rocky and I and some other people actually had dinner the night before the Met, and he was dropping all these hints. And I was being really English and not saying anything,” said the Vogue editor-in-chief. On the carpet, the couple spoke to livestream hosts Teyana Taylor, La La Anthony and Ego Nwodim, joking that the event was “more stressful to get ready for than the Olympics.”
The pair also told the hosts about their second wedding anniversary on Tuesday, and Owens called tonight’s event the “ultimate date night.” “I’m just excited to be with my husband,” Biles gushed, sharing that she and the Bears safety, 29, were doing “long distance” this month. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Ahead of the event, the gold medalist shared some posts to her Instagram Stories as she prepped for the star-studded evening. “MET MONDAY,” Biles wrote over one selfie in which she smiled at the camera while wearing a hotel robe. Owens, wearing a black t-shirt and a chain necklace, kisses her on the cheek in the sweet snap.
In the end, Simone Biles didn’t just attend the Met Gala—she owned it. Her honesty about being intimidated proves that even the boldest among us face new frontiers with trembling hands. So next time you feel nervous walking into a room full of strangers or stepping into unfamiliar territory, just remember: even Simone Biles gets the jitters. And that’s more powerful than any gold medal.
