Jenifer Lewis Slams Jeff Bezos and Celebrities at Met Gala

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]Welcome back to the factor on since it's fashion's biggest night is facing massive backlash over its honorary co-chair, Amazon founder billionaire Jeff Bezos. With thousands of workers losing their jobs, actress Jennifer Lewis is calling out the celebrities who crossed the picket line just to pose for the camera. She posted this message on Instagram.

[00:00:23]And then my girlfriend called and said, "Jennifer, they showed up anyway."

[00:00:31]I said, "But >> [music] >> they cut nearly 30,000 jobs and gutted the Washington Post."

[00:00:43]How much fame do we need, y'all?

[00:00:47]>> There you go, that's the question.

[00:00:49]Actress Taraji P. Henson also has been critical of celebrities attending the Met Gala with Jeff Bezos' connections to multiple billion-dollar companies. Is it possible to protest and actually boycott him? Joining us to talk about it, publicist Brigitte Boisselier and founder at Connect the Dots PR, Vanessa Wade. You know, they they not going to stop using Amazon to get those deliveries and not going to stop watching Prime. So, you kind of picking and choosing what to boycott with Jeff Bezos, right, Vanessa? Exactly. And you know, and it goes beyond cuz it's so easy for people to say, "Oh, they weren't invited, so that's why they're upset." No, it's really about everything you already said. Workers, how much they're making, uh Washington Post being gutted. So, all these things and it's just hard to get around. Like, this man owns a lot. It's going to be hard to have a Amazon-free life or anything else [laughter] that he Yes, he he he owns so much and so uh >> I while I do applaud them for speaking up and using their platform, it's just difficult to navigate a life with a company that big without it. Mhm. All right. Bridget, your thoughts?

[00:02:12]>> And then the Met Gala Gala, it's it's kind of uh one doesn't have anything to do with the other, unfortunately, because the Met Gala has been around for years and it's one of those things to where all of a sudden you want to protest.

[00:02:25]>> Yeah, it's been around since the '90s.

[00:02:26]>> Exactly. And and they're raising money for this, you know, uh for the museum, for these artists, so they can continue to, you know, curate and do different things. But if you want to use your platform on a on a political standpoint, that wasn't it. And I don't think, you know, how famous do we have to be or do we want to be has anything to do with them attending. And yes, you have to be invited. So, like, you know, as to your point, they could say that they're mad.

[00:02:51]I don't think Jennifer Lewis has ever been invited. And then Taraji has been to three.

[00:02:55]>> Yeah. First one she went to was in 2015, then she went to 2021 and 2025. I did my research. Mhm.

[00:03:02]I did because I wanted to see what is all of this about. And and unfortunately, one just doesn't have anything to do with the other. I get what they're saying, but at the same time, that fight needs to be done somewhere else. And you shouldn't scrutinize or, you know, drag your fellow actors because it's a big deal. I don't think it really has anything to do with how famous you want to be.

[00:03:24]>> It's just one of those things, it's a big deal to go to. Now, the tickets are $100,000 each.

[00:03:29]So, Isaiah, I think we should put our coins together so we can go next year.

[00:03:32]Yes. [laughter] Put it on layaway.

[00:03:35]Yeah. $3,000 easy payment for 20 years and I think we'll be able to go to that.

[00:03:41]So, for those and you guys are marketing geniuses, for those who feel like they need to channel their anger at Jeff Bezos in Jeff Bezos, is there a way to do it at all?

[00:03:54]There is. I mean >> [laughter] >> There is. You know, there is always a way. Yeah, there's always a way, but will it be effective? I believe it will just give you self-gratification.

[00:04:06]>> Exactly.

[00:04:06]>> You know, as with any other protest or boycott, some things you can see it and you're like, "Wow, we made change." I think for Jeff Bezos, just again, because of how big he is >> reach.

[00:04:18]>> and the reach, you got to do it because that's what you want to do. Mhm. Yeah. And he and his wife donated like uh so many millions of dollars this year. So, they were sponsors for the Met Gala. And like I said, the tickets were $100,000 each. So, when you have that kind of money, >> Mhm. like you said, it's Amazon, it's it's uh Prime.

[00:04:41]>> Prime and all those things.

[00:04:42]>> Media entities out there.

[00:04:45]>> Yeah, and they just partnered with um another station to do other things or another media station to do other things. So, it's kind of like, how do you boycott it? It wouldn't really make a difference unless how we all came together for that other place.

[00:05:00]>> [laughter] >> Right. And of course, you can't forget Jeff's ex-wife who has given relentlessly to HBCUs, like colleges and universities around this country, even right here in Texas at Prairie View.

[00:05:15]>> Right.

[00:05:15]>> Right. And that's the thing. I I get why they say what they say. I get why they feel the way that they do, but you just have to know the platform and the end game. Like, what do you want to happen?

[00:05:28]Like, everything they said is true.

[00:05:30]Like, none of it is made up, but to get on other celebrities, I don't know if that's the best move, but you also have to start somewhere. Yeah, and I don't think it like I said, one doesn't have anything to do with the other. You know, their points are valid, but they should do it in a different way on a different platform. All right, one of our viewers said, "Bridgette, we should get together and pay for our [laughter] tickets and be a co-owner."

[00:05:54]That's genius.

[00:05:55]>> Co-owner.

[00:05:56]>> [laughter] >> I don't know if they'll give us that kind of credit limit. Hey, you never You never know. You [laughter] never know.

[00:06:02]And make sure you text us and get your your questions in. I don't know what the damn number is anymore. [laughter] It ain't up.

[00:06:08]But, you can text this this iPad. It's at the top of the screen. If you wear glasses like me, you ain't going to ever see it, but >> [laughter] >> text this thing. It ain't Android.