Actress Laverne Cox recounted an experience at her first Met Gala where she believes supermodel Naomi Campbell shaded her.
Cox detailed the incident, which occurred during her 2019 Met Gala debut, in an interview for Bronwyn Newport's "Walk-In" Substack series. According to Cox, photographers initially asked Campbell to pose for a picture with Cox and Bella Hadid. Cox stated that Campbell then paused, looked her over, and walked away without taking the photo.
Cox described the moment as "as if it was one of the best moments of [her] life," calling it "the greatest honor in the world" to witness Campbell's reaction firsthand. She elaborated, "She was like… ‘Hmmm, No.’ And walked away."
Cox, who wore Christian Siriano to her first Met Gala, expressed initial hesitation in sharing the story but ultimately stated that Campbell knows she did it. However, Cox emphasized that there are no hard feelings between them. "Naomi and I are cool," Cox told Newport. "I’ve met Naomi many times. She’s always sweet to me. [At] that moment, she just wasn’t feeling it! But that look [she gave me] – was so iconic. Like, to be shaded by Naomi Campbell?"
Cox is known for her role in "Orange Is the New Black" and is an author of "Transcendent: A Memoir." Newport's "Walk-In" series explores the wardrobes of fashion figures, with past guests including Cox, who is a collector of Thierry Mugler's designs. Future guests are slated to include Betsey Johnson and Christian Siriano.