Why Karl Lagerfeld's Cat Choupette Is Not Attending Met Gala 2023
Expect Choupette to pull off the chicest of moves without ever leaving her elegant perch.
While hopes were high that Karl Lagerfeld's beloved cat would attend the Met Gala 2023 in her late human's stead, the 11-year-old feline pawed on Instagram that she will be spending the evening à la Blake Lively—from the comfort of home.
"A million thanks to all of you my fans, animal lovers & Daddy's admirers," read a May 1 post on her official account (which is run by Choupette's guardian, Françoise Caçote, Lagerfeld's former housekeeper). "You have all shown the kindest enthusiasm and unconditional support, I say MERCI ! Many people invited me to walk the red carpet of the #METGALA2023 in tribute to Daddy, but we preferred to stay peacefully & cozy at home. We pay tribute to my Daddy every day since his parting and we are very moved to see one more day dedicated to him."
Perhaps Choupette sensed she would've stolen the show right out from under the two-legged types draped in Chanel, her late father's eponymous line and other designs befitting of this year's theme, "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," and wanted to make sure the clothes remained the star.
Besides, the move is to always leave your adoring fans wanting more.
See all the Met Gala 2023 red carpet fashion here
But there's no doubt that the cat will be feeling the love from afar. Kim Kardashian recently made a pilgrimage to visit her in Paris, and style watchers are predicting a bevy of homages to Lagerfeld's prized companion, which he received as a birthday gift when she was 10 weeks old.
Asked how his "muse" Choupette inspired him, Lagerfeld told Euronews in 2016, "Fortunately, it's not something you can analyze. By her mere presence. She has a very calming effect. By the way, it is medically recognized. People who have a cat have far fewer health problems compared to all those who do not. Apparently its amazingly therapeutic. I read a detailed, serious, scientific article about it."
And in his case, he continued, "I need to be calmed down, I'm a little hysterical. But it's a relatively new thing—she is 5 years old. Never before in my life did I think I would fall in love with a cat, but she is exceptional and world famous."
He traveled with her occasionally (a birthday party thrown for her in August aboard a private jet that remained parked on the tarmac paid tribute to all their adventures) but her constant companionship at his atelier and when he sat for interviews ensured that Choupette was never far from the spotlight.
Lagerfeld called her "a joy to watch," explaining, "She's hilarious with her big eyes like star sapphires. And her coat is perfect because she has several maids, she is never alone. Even here at the hotel, she is up there with her maid."
Unsurprisingly, he reportedly left a sizable portion of his estate to the blue-cream Birman when he died in February 2019 to ensure she'd be cared for in the way that she'd become accustomed.
"If something happens to me," Lagerfeld told Le Figaro (per NBC News) in 2015, "the person who will take care of her will not be in misery."
After he passed, Choupette went to live with "her nanny" Caçote, Caroline Lebar, head of communications for the Karl Lagerfeld brand, told the New York Times in 2020, and was "surrounded by love."
And visit E! Online's 2023 Met Gala page for every photo and must-see moment from fashion's biggest night.
