Here's the Reason why Anna Wintour is Being Slammed Online Over a Sponsorship Deal for Met Gala

From content creators to small businesses and major brands, everyone is concerned about how the possible ban on TikTok will impact their reach and income. But Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is getting heat for her multi-million dollar deal with TikTok to sponsor the Met Gala. TikTok CEO Shou Chew will join her on the red carpet, which comes days after the Biden administration signed a bill into law to either ban the Chinese social media platform or force its sale.

Wintour will host the Met Gala alongside Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Bad Bunny, and Chris Hemsworth. TikTok, the video-sharing platform which is owned by ByteDance, has spent millions to sponsor the event. “The deal was indeed cut way before this bill passed," a source told Page Six. According to a press release, the “exhibition and benefit are made possible by TikTok.”

"What does Anna do? Does she uninvite TikTok a week before? She can’t. Anna is the total dictator of this event every year, let her talk her way out of this one!" the source added. The source also talked about how many of these stars who are attending the gala have ties with the music giant Universal. Last month, the company banned its artists from the app in a standoff over licensing fees and also accused the platform of "bullying" by wanting to pay only a “fraction” of the rate other platforms do for its music.

Many of the artists who are slated to appear were "paid nothing" by TikTok. TikTok sources are currently, negotiating with Universal and hopefully will come to a decision soon.

On the other hand, some believe that this will only "politicize the event to have the old guard being sponsored by new media that the government just banned."

There's not much that can be done about the TikTok affiliation now. "They chose it because TikTok wrote a check — and there are not that many people who can write a seven-figure check these days. It’s also integral to the fashion world," another source told the publication. Moreover, TikTok's CEO is slated to attend the event as an honorary guest. The source also said that the ban had nothing to do with TikTok's charitable contribution that TikTok has made to the Met."

TikTok has reportedly spent millions to sponsor the event in a deal that TikTok sources stressed had been made long before the ban became law, as already mentioned. 

A TikTok source said, "170 million Americans subscribe to TikTok and it’s at the forefront of the zeitgeist. Everyone is excited for the Met."

This year, the dress code for attendees is "The Garden of Time" which is inspired by the 1962 short story of the same name by author J.G Ballard. The Met Gala which is set to take place on May 6th at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York can be caught by viewers through a livestream hosted by Vogue and broadcast on its website and social media channels. So far, no comments have been made by Vogue, The Met and Wintour.