Originally appeared on E! Online
Jennifer Garner catches and releases invites to the Met Gala.
The 13 Going on 30 actress has not attended the iconic event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2007—and she recently revealed why.
"I went to the Met ball exactly one time," Garner explained to Vogue in the Dec. 11 episode of its "Beauty Secrets" series. "I found it a little scary so I haven't been back."
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Still, the four-time Emmy nominee looks back fondly on the 2007 event. "I wore—that night—this magical red Valentino gown," she added. "And I was his date and that was really majestic and special."
The year that the 51-year-old accompanied Valentino to the event, the evening's theme was "Poiret: King of Fashion," which honored the late designer Paul Poiret—an artist known for modernizing women's style.
Garner isn't the only celebrity to opt out of the event. In fact, Demi Lovato and Zayn Malik—who both only attended the 2016 gala—have concurred that they likely won't ever return, with the "Heart Attack" singer recalling the "terrible experience" in 2018 interview with Billboard.
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And although Garner has not returned to the ball, she doesn't shy away from star-studded events entirely. Just last year, the "Family Switch" actress attended the White House State Dinner, and brought along her daughter, Violet 18.
The mother-daughter duo wore complimenting floor-length black gowns. Garner—who also shares children Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11, with ex Ben Affleck—opted for a sleeveless velvet dress, while her daughter donned an A-line style with lacquered heart-shaped details.
