Selma Blair, 53, expresses hope for a Met Gala comeback one day, nearly two decades after her last appearance, amid her multiple sclerosis (MS) remission.

The actress confirms she will watch fashion’s premier event on Monday but skips attendance this year. Speaking at Calamigos Ranch Resort & Spa’s Leading Hotels of the World accreditation celebration on Friday, Blair shares fond memories of past visits.

Blair’s Met Gala Memories and Aspirations

Blair last graced the event in 2009. “I used to be a big Met Gala attendee,” she recalls. Her debut featured designs by Behnaz Sarafpour, followed by Chanel outings and a Marc Jacobs appearance about 20 years ago.

“One day I will be back at the Met, because I love fashion. I love wardrobes. And it is a passion of mine, so I really appreciate what they do and I think it’s an amazing event,” Blair states. “I love watching what everyone’s wearing and I will be watching.”

Met Gala 2026 Highlights

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Benefit occurs the first Monday in May. This year’s theme, ‘Costume Art,’ pairs with a ‘Fashion Is Art’ dress code, urging stars to treat the body as a canvas.

Co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour. Williams co-chairs for the first time, Kidman returns from 2003 and 2005, and Beyoncé served as honorary chair in 2013.

The exhibition showcases historical and contemporary garments in categories like the classical and nude body, aging and pregnant bodies, and the anatomical body.

Recent Health Milestones and Red Carpet Returns

In March, Blair exudes elegance at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, navigating the red carpet with a cane. She attended the 2025 event at Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills alongside her service dog, Scout.

At The Daily Front Row’s 9th Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards last year, Blair announces she is “truly in remission.” “I am doing amazingly well. I’ve been feeling great for about a year,” she shares. “But I am finally well enough to really, genuinely… I always try and feel my best, but now that I actually have stamina and energy and getting out and going out isn’t so scary.”

Regaining health sparks career focus. “I think maybe since the diagnosis… You’re just tired all the time. I spent so much of my life so tired from being unwell that I think I just was trying to get through the day,” Blair explains. “And now it’s like, wait, I realize I don’t know what my goals are.” Her priorities now center on acting projects.

Upcoming films include the drama Stay Forte on the Israel-Hamas war, supernatural thriller Silent, and twin drama There There, all entering production. “I started feeling really better this last year and I’m back at work and doing things, so I will have things to announce,” she adds.

Understanding Multiple Sclerosis

Blair disclosed her MS diagnosis in an August 2018 Instagram post, noting constant pain. MS occurs when the immune system attacks nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing lifelong, incurable damage.