On May 6, 2024, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City hosted the prestigious Met Gala. This yearly affair drew the presence of renowned figures, including Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth. Post-event, photographs capturing celebrities embracing the Gala theme — The Garden of Time — flooded social media and news platforms. Among them, an image allegedly of Rihanna — the Barbados-born singer, adorned in an ivory and green ensemble reminiscent of a tree, gained significant traction claiming her presence at the event.
The Facebook post reads: “Rihanna At Met Gala 2024 !!”
The above post can be seen here. (Archive)
FACT CHECK
NewsMobile fact-checked the above picture, and found it to be AI-generated.
Searching with keywords, our team found multiple reports saying Rihanna didn’t go to the 2024 Met Gala in New York. On May 6, 2024, People magazine relayed that Rihanna had to cancel her attendance as she was sick with flu.
Upon scrutinising the image, we noted discrepancies: the carpet didn’t align with those seen in photos of Met Gala attendees. The authentic carpet boasted an off-white hue, adorned with moss-green foliage along the edges. Moreover, the flowers depicted in the viral image appeared peach or pink, unlike the white blooms at the Gala.
Additionally, discrepancies were evident in at least two photographers positioned behind Rihanna, their features blurred, hinting at the image’s AI-generated origin.
Multiple sources have indicated that the photograph was created using artificial intelligence. On May 7, Forbes released an article, titled “Met Gala 2024: AI-Generated Impostors Invade ‘The Garden Of Time’”, highlighting the proliferation of AI-generated images depicting Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna at the Met Gala circulating on social media.
In the Instagram account, dated May 8, we also traced the original generator of the image, accompanied by a hashtag explicitly stating it was AI-generated. Their bio identifies them as an “Artist” and their feed consistently showcases AI-generated or digitally crafted images of celebrities.
So, it is confirmed that the image, depicting Rihanna’s presence at the Gala, is digitally altered.
