Transgender actress Laverne Cox recalls model Naomi Campbell shading her at her first Met Gala

Laverne Cox has revealed that being rejected for a photo opportunity by supermodel Naomi Campbell at the Met Gala was one of her most memorable moments in fashion.

The actress and author of “Transcendent: A Memoir” recalled the incident during an upcoming episode of Bronwyn Newport’s “Walk-In” Substack series, describing how Campbell appeared to ignore a request from photographers to pose with her and Bella Hadid at the famous fashion event.

Cox said she was taking photos with Hadid when photographers called out to Campbell, asking: “Naomi! Take a picture with Laverne and Bella!” According to Cox, Campbell stopped, looked her up and down, and then walked away without joining the photo.

Rather than being offended, Cox described the moment as a highlight of her Met Gala experience. “It was the greatest honor in the world. The fact that I got to see that live? She was like… ‘Hmmm, no.’ And walked away,” Cox said. Cox admitted she was initially hesitant to share the story but later joked that Campbell knew exactly what she had done. “She knows she did it!” Cox said.

The actress, however, made it clear there were no hard feelings between them, explaining that Campbell has always been kind to her in other interactions “Naomi and I are cool,” Cox told Newport. “I’ve met Naomi many times. She’s always sweet to me. [At] that moment, she just wasn’t feeling it!”

Cox added that Campbell’s reaction was memorable because of the supermodel’s reputation and presence in the fashion world “But that look [she gave me] – was so iconic. Like, to be shaded by Naomi Campbell?” she said.

Cox made her Met Gala debut in 2019 wearing a design by Christian Siriano. She has since become recognised as a major figure in fashion and continues to collect pieces from designers including Thierry Mugler. Bronwyn Newport’s “Walk-In” series explores the wardrobes and fashion influences of industry figures, with future guests including Betsey Johnson, Symone and Christian Siriano.