It would not be a Met Gala without a little bit of drama, and Doechii provided it in spades before she even made it onto the red carpet. The Grammy-winning rapper and fashion icon was in a heated, profanity-laced altercation at The Mark Hotel prior to her highly anticipated Met Gala entrance. And yes, there is a video.
While she ultimately stunned in a Louis Vuitton look celebrating the night’s “Tailored for You” theme, her entrance on fashion’s most elite night was hardly so serene. Instead, it was a frantic scramble, shouting, and what appeared to be an all-out PR meltdown caught on camera.
Tempers Flare at The Mark Hotel as Doechii Battles with Her Team
As usual, most of the Met Gala attendees begin at The Mark Hotel, stepping out into a whirlwind of cameras to make it to the Met steps. But for Doechii, what was intended to be a choreographed reveal became chaos, sending onlookers and Twitter into a frenzy.
According to several accounts and testimony from evidence in a video circulating on the internet, Doechii was observed furious with her handlers following the paparazzi congregating in the lobby and their incompetent attempts at not adequately covering her clothing. When she exited the elevator, there were flashing lights to meet her, prompting her to turn around and snap orders at her handlers.
In one of the numerous viral videos, the “Anxiety” rapper is spotted sneaking behind a clothes rack while frantically attempting to avoid being recorded. Members of her entourage ran around her carrying umbrellas, attempting to hide her.
“I’m ready,” she said curtly before immediately snapping, “No, stop. Give me another umbrella now and another. I need more f***ing umbrellas.” Her tone? Sharp enough to cut through Vuitton leather.
Let us just say this was not precisely your typical cool, calm celebrity launch. It was more like a girl boss meltdown.
Last-Minute Scramble and a Sidewalk Stumble Caught on Camera
Doechii was visibly exasperated that her team seemed to have been given a direct and isolated path to her car. Instead, the lobby was overrun with paparazzi, and she and her stylists had to quickly create an ad hoc barrier of umbrellas and curtains to hide her Met Gala appearance.
A second video, which was also shared online, shows Doechii finally reaching the car, still with handlers and lines of umbrellas. There is a thud at one point as the group tries to move down the busy, tight sidewalk. Even if it’s unclear if she tripped or not, someone off-camera says, “Someone’s getting fired,” adding more tension to already stressful moments.
Across both videos, Doechii is visibly anxious. Her voice is shaking with a sense of urgency, frustration, and pressure. This was not merely a moment of badness. It was a full-on pre-red carpet meltdown.
@theviketwins Doechii tried to maintain mysterious! #metgala #metgala2025 #nyc
♬ original sound – Alina & Inessa Vike
Online Reactions Divide Fans Between Empathy and Outrage
Naturally, the internet had thoughts.
While some fans empathized with the artist’s visible stress and argued that perfection is demanded of women, especially Black women, in the public eye, others were less forgiving. Many criticized her treatment of her team, with comments on Instagram and X dragging her for what they viewed as diva behavior.
“Idc how much money is on the line, how could y’all work for people who talk to y’all like that?” one user commented. Another chimed in, “Ugh, talent will take you places where your CHARACTER can not and WILL not keep you.”
It’s not the first time Doechii has found herself under scrutiny. Despite her monumental success and Grammy win for Best Rap Album, she’s been slapped with the ever-dreaded “industry plant” label, a favorite insult thrown at young artists who rise too quickly for the public to process.
But this latest incident has only fueled that narrative. Critics claim her meteoric rise with “Anxiety” and increasingly visible public persona have started to crack under pressure. And they’re watching her every move, waiting for another misstep.
Despite the Disorder, Doechii Makes One of the Night’s Best Fashion Statements
But let’s be real. All of that, and Doechii still managed to make one of the night’s best fashion statements.
Created by Louis Vuitton in association with creative director Pharrell Williams, also co-chair for the evening, Doechii wore a monogrammed blazer with operatic cape-like tails, edged by crisply cut checkered shorts-style trousers. She added a teeny Speedy bag from Louis Vuitton, a cigar, and an all-natural curl headpiece that paid homage to her roots.
Her look was a boisterous and unmistakable nod to the evening’s “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” theme and its “Tailored for You” dress code, which paid homage to Black fashion and vintage tailoring influences. After that bumpy start, she proved that she could survive the pressure and own the moment.
@theviketwins Replying to @lisa frank ocean #metgala #metgala2025 what do you think? ☺️
♬ original sound – Audios
In an interview with PEOPLE, Doechii reflected on her interpretation of the theme: “To me, this year’s theme was about blending the lines between what’s feminine and masculine, challenging norms in a stylish and gangster way.”
Gangster indeed.
Honoring André Leon Talley with Style and Substance Before the Headliner
Before her Met Gala debut, Doechii celebrated the late fashion icon André Leon Talley, whose maximalist legacy influenced this year’s Costume Institute extravaganza. She reworked one of Talley’s greatest tennis looks, a nod to his love of dressing up in high style even for everyday activities, proving herself again as much a student of fashion history as she is an outlaw of it.
Her homage struck a chord with the public and fashion elites, many of whom thanked her for honoring Talley’s vision and spirit.
A Bumpy Start and a Glorious Finish for One of Rap’s New Icons
Yes, the debut was messy. Yes, the videos were cringeworthy. And yes, she publicly swore out her staff. But in the end, Doechii still got the task and then some.
The moment was raw, unadulterated, and tense but also real. That’s something fashion and celebrities generally try to avoid in the service of more perfect-looking optics. Doechii reminded us all that beneath the glitz and glamour; these moments are pressure cookers of image, timing, and performance.
She may have lost it at The Mark, but she certainly slayed on the Met steps. And if that isn’t the perfect metaphor for 2025 fame, then what is?
Doechii did not merely attend the Met Gala. She conquered umbrellas, curse words, and all.
