Sudanese-American Model Anok Yai has slammed The Washington Post after a columnist linked her to an alleged Met Gala bathroom mishap.
The controversy began after Washington Post features writer Maura Judkis published an article titled “How do stars pee at the Met Gala? An investigation,” which explored how celebrities manage elaborate red-carpet outfits during the annual fashion event.
In the piece, stylist Mickey Freeman recounted an embarrassing incident involving one of his clients, who allegedly had to tear a hole in a heavily embellished sheer bodysuit to use the restroom after being sewn into the outfit.
Although Freeman refused to identify the celebrity, Judkis suggested that online searches pointed to Anok Yai because of the outfit she wore to the 2024 Met Gala.
Reacting on Instagram, the model strongly denied the allegation and accused the publication of spreading false information about her.
“I usually stay quiet and keep to myself. But how dare you misalign my character and imply that I ripped my outfit and peed on myself during the Met Gala of 2024! Fact check next time! Are you crazy?!” she wrote.
In another post, Yai directly tagged the newspaper and challenged the publication to provide evidence of the alleged incident.
Following the backlash, Freeman defended the model, clarifying that she was never the unnamed celebrity referenced in his story.
“Nope! It was not Queen @anokyai,” he wrote on Instagram Story, adding that he had never worked with the model in any capacity.
Freeman later described the controversy as “a hilarious non-story” and expressed admiration for Yai.
Anok Yai rose to prominence in 2018 after becoming the first Black model to open a Prada runway show since Naomi Campbell in 1997.
