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Anna Wintour has responded to the backlash surrounding Jeff Bezos and his wife, Lauren Sanchez, sponsoring the upcoming Met Gala \u2014<\/span> and is defending their involvement. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI think Lauren is going to be a wonderful asset to the museum and to the event,\u201d Wintour told celebrity.land on Monday<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m very grateful for her incredible generosity, and she\u2019s a great lover of costume and obviously of fashion, so we\u2019re thrilled she\u2019s part of the night.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Wintour stepped down<\/a> as Vogue\u2019s editor-in-chief earlier this year, but continues to organize the Met Gala as Cond\u00e9 Nast\u2019s chief content officer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Met announced this year\u2019s theme, \u201cCostume Art,\u201d<\/a> and the gala\u2019s sponsors on Instagram last week. The revelation that one of the world\u2019s richest men and his wife would be partnering with the event triggered swift criticism online.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cBillionaires propping up other billionaires for their fancy party,\u201d one person commented<\/span> on Instagram.<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Met Gala is the main fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art\u2019s Costume Institute, which depends heavily on large donors and corporate sponsorships. Major fashion houses have typically funded the event \u2014 Louis Vuitton, for example, sponsored last year\u2019s edition. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Bezos and Sanchez made their debut as a couple at the 2024 gala and skipped the 2025 festivities to focus on their wedding. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n