In a dramatic revelation from the fashion world, an Italian model alleges that his striking appearance led to his dismissal from this year’s Met Gala, claiming he inadvertently overshadowed Kylie Jenner with his good looks.
Eugenio Casnighi, who has served as a greeter at the prestigious event for two consecutive years, shared in a recent TikTok video that he will not be returning for a third year. According to Casnighi, his removal from the Met Gala staff was due to the considerable attention his looks garnered at the 2023 gala.
Opening his TikTok confession, Casnighi said, “I just got fired from the Met Gala.” He then shared an image where he is seen next to Jenner at the 2023 event.
“Remember me?” he posed to his audience, referencing the memorable photo.
The video cuts to a flashback where Emma Chamberlain is seen interviewing Blackpink’s Jennie Kim, with Casnighi in the background. The video quickly shifts focus from the interview to Casnighi’s striking features, sparking viral attention online last year. A caption in the viral footage read, “Trying to focus on Emma interviewing Jennie but…”.
Casnighi explained that he was previously bound by an NDA, which prevented him from discussing the matter. Now, however, he feels free to speak openly.
With a laugh, he remarked, “It’s funny enough. They fired me so I can say whatever I want now.”
He continued, detailing the reasons given by the Met Gala organizers for his dismissal. “They blamed me. They said ‘you made it about yourself, so we don’t want to work with you anymore,'” Casnighi shared.
“They let me know today that they cut me off. They fired me because I went viral last year.”
Reflecting on the unexpected consequences of his role, Casnighi noted, “It’s funny because the Met Gala and the company that I’m not going to mention… want models to work the red carpet. They want people to get noticed. They literally told me ‘we picked you because we like you more than other people’.”
“But when people took pictures of the actual celebrity, like Kylie Jenner and was next to her, of course I ended up in the picture,” he added.
The online community has rallied around Casnighi, with many expressing support in the TikTok comments. One user exclaimed, “They can’t handle your beauty that goes viral. Will DEFINITELY be happening again.”
In a subsequent video, Casnighi mentioned that he wasn’t the only staff member let go.