Since pretty much everyone was at the Met Gala Monday night (and naked, no less), it was actually quite easy to pick out those A-listers who didn't show up. Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, Gwyneth Paltrow...where were they? Well...

Gwyneth Paltrow

We were less than surprised that she didn't grace the red carpet with her Goopiness—back in 2013, Paltrow said with her typical candor that the event had "sucked" and that she'd never return. She has since made good on her promise, and while her BFF Beyoncé was owning the event in her sheer getup, she was hanging out with her daughter, Apple.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/2UK81yCPcs/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">This was the red carpet in my house last night</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-05-05T21:22:48+00:00">May 5, 2015 at 2:22pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote>
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Blake Lively

She has attended the ball several times, usually in a very Old Hollywood-inspired getup (like last year's blush-colored Gucci number). But Lively skipped out on the China-themed gala this year because she was actually in China. "Blake RSVP'd a month ago and said she couldn't make it," her rep told Page Six. "She is shooting back-to-back movies in China and Bangkok." Fair.

Taylor Swift

We totally expected Tay to walk up those stairs in some magnificent sparkly crop top number, but alas—like Lively, Swift is currently across the globe on her 1989 tour. She spent the evening in Tokyo rather than on the Met steps, but still wore her fair share of fantastic outfits, including the wonderfully blingy catsuit that looks just like the one bestie Karlie Kloss wore on the Victoria's Secret runway where the pair first met.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/2Tkoc5Isbc/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">IM DEAD @taylorswift @karliekloss #karliekloss #taylorswift #kaylor #1989tourtokyo #1989 #ripme</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Proud Swiftie (@shiftyswifty1989) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-05-05T15:47:58+00:00">May 5, 2015 at 8:47am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote>
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Gisele Bündchen

While Bündchen has walked many a Met gala carpet, she was also in Asia this year: South Korea, to be exact, for Chanel's Cruise collection runway show. It's not the first time Karl Lagerfeld has made the fashionable elite choose between Chanel and another big event, so kudos to Gisele for making the trek, which even Cara Delevingne didn't do. And bonus points, because there were still steps involved!

Kristen Stewart

We thought we might see the fashionable actress join the rest of the A-list crowd, but she also opted for Chanel's event instead—which makes sense considering she's a face of Chanel, and seems much more her speed anyway, since she usually tries to avoid the hubbub.

Photos above all Getty Images

From: ELLE US