Simone Ashley’s MET 2026 Dress Sparks Brutal Backlash as Indian Roots Are Dragged Into It: “Not a Str*p Club”

Met Gala 2026 showcased the most iconic global fashion, which continues to be discussed online. Among others, the cast of The Devil Wears Prada 2 grabbed eyeballs, but Simone Ashley found herself in the center of mockery as she embraced this year’s theme, “Fashion is Art.” Not only this, but the Bridgerton actress’s Indian roots were also dragged while her fashion was questioned.

Simone Ashley turned up for the star-studded global fashion event in a Stella McCartney minidress, with silver chains draped across her body. She paired the see-through dress with diamond bracelets and matching rings from De Beers that perfectly complemented her manicured nails. She completed her look with matching danglers and stilettos.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 actress brought oomph to her overall look with a unique hairstyle. Knowing her over-the-top fashion for the event, Ashley opted for a wine lip shade and a bold eyeliner. As expected, Simone’s look generated a lot of buzz on the internet, but for the reasons not so good.

A user wrote, “Girl youre at a classy met not a str*p club.” Another suggested, “Could’ve worn her Bridgerton outfits or something.” A third user dragged her Indian roots while pointing, “Simone u r indian u could hv chosen an indian dress customized it like literally could hv just tried instead of this?? Does ur team hate u? Did they say no? Why this…this wtv tf this is.”

In addition, one user added, “How was she dressed better in The Devil Wears Prada 2 than she is at the Met Gala?” while another said, “What is the art? Chain art? Is that a thing?” One more netizen suggested, “She really needs to hire a new stylist I’m so serious. Beautiful woman whose outfits are always underwhelming.”

Nevertheless, some Ashley fans also defended her, with one user commenting, “At least she’s pretty,” and another said, “Simone is the art herself, I get it.” Notably, the brand described the intricacies of the 31-year-old’s dress on Instagram, stating, “Constructed from 70% iconic Falabella chains and thread from the brand’s London atelier, each element of the garment is assembled by hand.”

It is worth noting that, apart from Simone Ashley, several Indian celebrities also walked the iconic steps at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York to celebrate fashion and art. Some of the Indians who left social media, mightily impressed with their looks, include filmmaker Karan Johar, Jaipur’s royal siblings: Princess Gauravi Kumari and Maharaja Padmanabh Singh, fashion designer Manish Malhotra, Isha Ambani, Ananya Birla, and Natasha Poonawala, among others.

While the Met is expected to be an event of high-fashion fantasy, social media was quite furious about the outfits chosen for the 25-year-old Chanel Brand Ambassador, Bhavitha Mandava. While she is the first Indian model to open a Chanel show, her understated fashion at the biggest fashion event consisted of a simple chiffon shirt and high-waisted jeans. The internet has since been flooded with questioning fashion to accusations of bias and ‘microaggressions’ against the Indian model.