Cardi B Accused of Racism at Met Gala: ‘Didn’t Want to Be Offensive’
Cardi B is defending herself against claims that she was racist at the 2024 Met Gala on Monday (May 6).
The allegations stem from an answer Cardi gave on the red carpet when Emma Chamberlain asked the "I Like It" rapper who designed her gown.
"They're Asian and everything," Cardi responding, seemingly not remembering the name of the designer, Sensen Lii of Windowsen.
Online, people were quick to criticize Cardi for not knowing the designer's name and instead using their race to describe them.
"Not knowing the name of the designer is lowkey insulting and calling them Asian and everything… no no!" one person commented on a YouTube video of the moment.
"Nah, she messed herself up not knowing the designer," someone else commented.
"Forgetting the designer at MET... impolite, dang," another wrote.
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In a since-deleted video uploaded to Instagram, Cardi defended herself from the backlash, saying she "had a lot of things on" her mind at the time and that she was "very scared" when she was rushed to the front of the line at the gala.
"I kind of forgot how to pronounce the designer's name because his name is a little bit complicated... My mind was just racing," Cardi said, according to The Daily Mail.
She also clarified that she used the word "Asian" instead of a nationality because she "didn't want to be offensive," as well as that she didn't want to butcher the pronunciation of Lii's name.
Cardi also hit back at criticism left in a comment by Vogue's former managing director Gilbert Cheah.
"I feel like the designer and my stylist worked really hard for this theme, so for you to be kind of shady because she feel offended or whatever, it just proves why you're the former director," Cardi shared.
"You're trying to offend me but you're actually offending the people behind-the-scenes," she continued.
Lii, meanwhile, appears to have no bad blood with Cardi. The designer took to their Instagram Stories to re-post Cardi thanking them for making the dress.
"I have to give another thank you to Windowsen. I chose you because of your amazing talent and you came through really making this Met Gala a night to remember," Cardi wrote.
Lii re-posted the message alongside a red heart emoji.
Met Gala 2024 Red Carpet Photos
Gallery Credit: Taylor Alexis Heady