Billy Porter will not be attending the Met Gala on Monday, May 6 to mourn his mother, Cloerinda Jean Johnsonwho died in February.
“I just lost my mother,” Porter, 54, said AND! News at the TIME100 Gala on Thursday, April 25. “I have to take care of myself, so that’s what I do.” And that means sometimes not going to the party.”
Fans of the Met know how much time and thought it takes to put together a look, as most attendees spend months putting together their red carpet outfits. Noting that he “can’t do everything” and needed a break, Porter joked, “Dad’s tired.”
Porter publicly announced the news of his mother’s death at the age of 79 in a joint statement with his sister. Mary Martha Ford.
Although the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala fundraiser has been running since 1948, the event didn’t become fashion’s Super Bowl until Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour took over in the 1990s. Click through to see some of the best Met Gala red carpet dresses of all time!
“We were right next to her as she took her last breath, wrapped in our arms,” the siblings wrote on Instagram on February 29. “Mom lived life to the fullest despite physical limitations placed on her. She was the embodiment of true Christianity and her unconditional love is a template the world could benefit from using.”
Billy Porter and his mother
Courtesy of Billy Porter/InstagramTheir statement concluded: “Your example is what we continue to strive for.”
Thanks to his lavish looks, Porter has become a Met Gala staple year after year. His biggest appearance ever was at “Camp: Notes on Fashion” in 2019. Inspired by ancient Egypt, Porter was carried on a palanquin by six shirtless men. As he stepped down from the throne, he showed off his catsuit with 10-foot wings and a 24-karat gold headpiece. The ensemble put together by Porter’s stylist, Sam Ratelleand design duo The Blondes, took five hours of prep time to put together before the big event.
“I want wings so I can fly,” he explained of his appearance on the red carpet at the time. “I wanted to be the gods, the sun god and enlightenment. All of this is within my scope of vision. I wanted to do something positive and bring joy to people. We need some of that.”
With an extensive background in theater and performance art, it’s no surprise that the 2019 topic particularly appealed to Porter.
“Camp is often used in a derogatory way,” he said. “What I love about having it at the Met Gala and at the contextualization camp is that it pays homage to a word and a genre that can very often be neglected or seen as cheesy. When done right, it is one of the highest forms of fashion and art.”