'We're Exposing Them': Fury Erupts at 'The Bezos Met Gala' With 300 Bottles of Fake Urine Reportedly Hidden at the Venue

The red carpet of the Met Gala is typically synonymous with high fashion and elite celebrity sightings. However, this year, the shimmering gowns and tailored tuxedos were overshadowed by a visceral and pungent form of activism.

The arrival of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, as lead sponsors sparked a backlash that moved from digital discourse to the very halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The protest group Everyone Hates Elon said more than 300 bottles filled with fake urine had been hidden at the venue to protest Bezos' involvement in the annual high-profile fundraiser.

Protesters Hide 300 Urine Bottles at Bezos Met Gala

Demonstrators targeting the event reportedly managed to infiltrate the high-security venue to plant over 300 bottles filled with fake urine. The move was part of a coordinated effort to 'expose' the billionaire couple, years after Amazon was accused of letting its delivery drivers pee into bottles.

Outside the museum, the scene was equally provocative, with empty water bottles stored in a basket next to a poster that read 'Met GALA VIP toilet.' The poster also included the text 'Installed in honor of Met Gala chair Jeff Bezos. Go ahead, it's good enough for his staff' and 'in partnership with Amazon.'

An anti-billionaire campaign group with the support of Amazon workers slammed what they dubbed the 'Bezos Met Gala,' calling for a total boycott. They argue that the inclusion of the Amazon founder as an honorary co-chairman is an affront to workers' rights.

'Amazon founder and oligarch Jeff Bezos just finished his Met Gala pre-party at his penthouse and is getting ready for the big night,' a spokesperson for Everyone Hates Elon said. 'We couldn't let him get away with using celebrity and fashion to hide his crimes. We're exposing them instead.'

The presence of the bottles served as a grim reminder of the working conditions many associates face daily within the e-commerce giant's logistics network.

Amazon Delivery Drivers Sued Amazon Over Lack of Bathroom Breaks

The choice of protest medium is a direct reference to long-standing allegations regarding the treatment of delivery drivers. In May 2023, a group of workers filed a lawsuit against Amazon for its 'inhumane' working conditions, claiming they were forced to relieve themselves in bottles to meet punishing delivery quotas. They alleged that the company's monitoring systems left no time for traditional bathroom stops, Forbes reported.

Amazon previously attempted to dismiss these claims in a snarky social media response to Representative Mark Pocan after the latter questioned its being 'progressive' while letting its employees urinate in water bottles. 'You don't really believe the peeing in bottles thing, do you? If that were true, nobody would work for us,' the company's official account tweeted. Pocan responded, replying: 'Yes, I do believe your workers. You don't.'

The firm later issued an apology on its website after admitting that its drivers do, in fact, sometimes have to use bottles. This admission followed internal documents and worker testimonies confirming that the practice resulted from strict performance metrics.

The 'Death of the Met Gala'

The Bezos family's financial footprint on this year's event is substantial. Bezos reportedly paid £7.9 million ($10 million) to secure his position as a primary sponsor and to elevate his partner to an honorary role.

'The Bezoses are where the American dream is at right now for status, wealth and style,' former Vogue editor William Norwich told Page Six. 'They display conspicuous consumption [and] they have the 'AWOK' — the Anna Wintour OK.'

While the museum benefits from the capital, the cultural cost is being debated fiercely by industry observers. Some critics have been scathing about the shift in the event's atmosphere following the Amazon billionaire's involvement.

Maureen Callahan, a US columnist, called the new direction the 'Death of the Met Gala' and branded Sánchez 'tacky.' The sentiment suggests that the infusion of 'new money' and corporate sponsorship has stripped the evening of its historical elegance.

As the fake urine bottles are cleared away, the debate over the gala's future continues to simmer.