Met Gala defends food after Keke Palmer’s viral picture incites online ridicule

Palmer cheekily shared a photo of her plate to Twitter after hosting the red carpet at the Met Gala

While much has been made about the food at the Met Gala, event organizers are defending it after Keke Palmer‘s viral picture sparked online ridicule.

While the Met Gala drew in celebrities from all over the world, the star of the evening was actress, host, and comedian Palmer. Hosting the official red carpet for Vogue, Palmer trended the entire night for her stunning red carpet look, hilarious interviews with celebrities like Tracee Ellis Ross and Frank Ocean, and for her social media content that night.

One post that went viral was a shot of the food inside the event.

Sharing a screenshot of her Instagram story, Palmer wrote to her fans on Twitter who were asking about the menu, “the menu chile.” The screenshot featured a small amount of food, which Palmer wrote over it, “This why they don’t show ya’ll the food,” before adding, “I’m just playinnnn.”

The tweet naturally took off, with fans sharing videos of stars like Normani and Teyana Taylor who made comments on the red carpet about how hungry they were.

The gala’s chef, Marcus Samuelsson, who owns Harlem’s popular Red Rooster eatery, has opened up to TMZ to defend the menu at the fancy event. TMZ reports that Samuelsson, “helped select the 10 up-and-coming chefs who created the Met Gala menu.”

He told TMZ that Palmer’s picture is correct in that it is some of what was served that night.

“As for Keke’s plate, Marcus tells us it was barley topped with roasted mushrooms, tomato salad with corn and zucchini slices,” TMZ reports. “Marcus says food, like anything, is a matter of taste, and it tasted plenty good.”

He also tells the outlet that the three-course meal provided was “delicious” and that he has received plenty of positive feedback.

Samuelsson opened up to Vogue as well about this year’s menu and what it means for the Met Gala to return.

Samuelsson shared, “After a difficult two years for the restaurant industry, this will showcase the work and tell the stories of a dynamic group of chefs while presenting an exciting menu of delicious, plant-based dishes. The gala offers an incomparable opportunity for emerging talent to elevate their careers and share their perspectives and craft.”

Fans, of course, had a ball with Palmer’s post on social media. Many fans were comparing the menu to the infamous Fyre Festival, as well as school lunches.

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