Billy Porter will not be attending the Met Gala on Monday, May 6, to grieve his mother, Cloerinda Jean Johnson, who died in February.
“I just lost my mom,” Porter, 54, told E! News at the TIME100 Gala on Thursday, April 25. “I have to take care of myself, so I’m doing that. And that means not going to the party sometimes.”
Fans of the Met know the time and consideration it takes to pull together a look, with most attendees spending months creating their red carpet ensembles. Porter noted that he “can’t do everything” and needs a break, joking, “Daddy’s tired.”
Porter publicly announced the news of his mother’s death at age 79 in a joint statement with his sister, Mary Martha Ford.
“We were right beside her when she took her last breath, wrapped in our arms,” the siblings wrote via Instagram on February 29. “Mommy lived life to the fullest despite physical limitations pressed upon her. She was the personification of true Christianity and her unconditional love is a template that the world could benefit from employing.”
Their statement concluded, “Her example is what we continue to strive for.”
Porter has become a fixture at the Met Gala thanks to his lavish looks year after year. He made his biggest entrance ever during 2019’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” Evoking inspiration from ancient Egypt, Porter was carried in on a litter by six shirtless men. Once he disembarked from the throne, he showed off his catsuit outfitted with 10-foot wings and a 24-karat gold headpiece. The ensemble put together by Porter’s stylist, Sam Ratelle, and design duo The Blondes, took five hours of prep to put together before the big event.
“I want wings so I can fly,” he explained of his look on the red carpet at the time. “I wanted to be the Gods, the sun god, and enlightenment. All of that is within the realm of my look. I wanted to do something that was positive and bring joy to people. We need a little bit of that.”
With an extensive background in theater and performance art, it comes as no surprise that 2019’s theme particularly spoke to Porter.
“Camp is often used as a pejorative,” he said. “What I love about having it at the Met Gala, and contextualizing camp, is it brings honor to a word and genre that can be discounted very often, or thought of as cheesy. When it’s done properly, it’s one of the highest forms of fashion and art.”
