The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala, which was scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on Saturday to honor Meryl Streep, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and Sofia Coppola, has been postponed.
“Out of respect for the devastating conflict and loss of life abroad, we have decided to postpone the Academy Museum Gala this Saturday. We look forward to rescheduling at a later date. We deeply thank everyone for their support,” a spokesman for the Academy Museum said Thursday evening.
This followed news earlier in the day that the red carpet would be canceled but the museum’s annual fundraiser, co-chaired by Ava DuVernay, Dr. Eric Esrailian, Halle Berry and Ryan Murphy would continue
Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, it was already planned that only photos and no interviews would be allowed on the red carpet. Talent was allowed to attend due to strike rules since it was a charity event, although The Hollywood Reporter reported that some studio executives who had previously attended the gala decided not to participate in the strike and gave their seats back to the museum.
Many events in the Middle East have been canceled due to the escalating violence between Israel and Hamas, including Fashion Trust Arabia, which sent an email to guests on Thursday saying it would postpone its awards ceremony scheduled for October 25 in Doha, Qatar.
But the Academy Gala is the first major Hollywood event to be canceled following the Palestinian terror group Hamas’ attack on Israel on Saturday. Among those expected to attend were Andrew Garfield, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Greta Gerwig, Ke Huy Quan, Kim Kardashian, Lupita Nyong’o, Mahershala Ali, Margot Robbie, Pedro Pascal, Quinta Brunson, Reese Witherspoon, Selena Gomez and Tom Hanks walk the red carpet.
The event was also expected to be a big moment for the fashion industry, which did not have its usual number of red carpet opportunities due to the strike. The Academy Gala was expected to be “one of the biggest red carpets of the fall,” according to Hollywood insiders, with Louis Vuitton and sponsor Rolex among the brands buying tables and dressing stars at the event.
Meanwhile, New York designer Veronica Beard canceled a luncheon and party planned to celebrate the Oct. 18 opening of the brand’s new Beverly Hills store.
However, several other events took place in LA during this busy social week, including a Thursday night party celebrating Schiaparelli and Neiman Marcus, which was attended by Jennifer Lopez and other stars. On Tuesday, Loro Piana hosted a dinner with Sophia Richie Grainge in Malibu, and on Wednesday, Taylor Swift celebrated the premiere of her concert film “The Eras Tour” at an event that led to the closure of The Grove mall.