Jemima Kirke defends ‘problematic’ Met Gala fashion critiques: ‘It’s funny and not personal’

Jemima Kirke has defended herself after she sparked backlash for her critical ratings of celebrity Met Gala dresses following the annual fashion event.

On Tuesday, a day after the Met Gala returned to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Girls star shared her thoughts on the outfits worn by everyone from Megan Fox to Hailey Baldwin.

According to Kirke, who described her opinions as “Met Gala musings,” Baldwin’s dress was better suited for a second date, with the actor captioning a photo of the model in her black Saint Laurent gown: “Date night dress. On a Tuesday. Second date dress. Impromptu dinner round the corner dress.”

Kirke’s candid opinions also extended to Irina Shayk’s floral gown by Moschino, which she gave a “P for pass” and to Fox’s red Dundas gown with cut-out details, which she said could have worked if it had been worn at a different event.

“Truly a good look for a porn award ceremony,” Kirke claimed on her Instagram Stories, where she also argued that both Lorde and Grimes should have made more of an “effort” with their red carpet choices for the exclusive event.

When it came to Emily Blunt’s Met Gala look, which consisted of a custom Miu Miu dress and a glittering star crown, Kirke was also critical, with the 36-year-old declaring the headpiece too immature.

“No star crowns past age 24,” she wrote, before amending her review to read: “Changed my mind. No star crowns past seven.”

The ruthless reviews, which are no longer on Kirke’s Instagram Stories, prompted mixed reactions from her fans, with some applauding her for the honesty while others have accused her of taking the reviews of her fellow celebrities too far.

“Absolutely screaming at Jemima Kirke just boldly dragging people’s Met Gala looks,” one person tweeted, while another said: “Jemima Kirke roasting people’s Met Gala outfits on her Instagram is the best thing.”

However, others were unimpressed with the actor’s critiques, with someone else tweeting: “Smells like internalised misogyny to me,” while another person accused Kirke of “trashing” the other women.

On Thursday, the Sex Education star defended herself from the backlash on the basis that her comments were acceptable because they were “talking about fashion”.

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“We’re talking about fashion here. Whatever I said on my Stories I’d say to my best friend. And I’d expect my best friend to say to me. Because it’s funny and not personal,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories.

In additional posts, Kirke then shared some of the negative comments she’d received since sharing her Met Gala opinions, including from one individual who described the actor as a “self-absorbed hypocritical a**hole”.

In a caption posted on the screenshot, Kirke wrote: “I’m legitimately concerned about this person. I hope someone does something kind for her today.”

Kirke last attended the Met Gala in 2019, when she and her Girls co-star Lena Dunham wore matching Christopher Kane dresses for the event’s theme: “Camp: Notes on Fashion”.