The German fashion designer will be honored during this year's gala.
While some of the biggest names in entertainment and fashion gear up for the first Monday in May to honor Karl Lagerfeld during this year's Met Gala, sadly one of his closest companions won't be there.
On Monday, Lagerfeld's beloved cat, Choupette, announced that she will be sitting the evening out and watching the world honor her late father from afar.
"A million thanks to all of you my fans, animal lovers & Daddy's admirers. You have all shown the kindest enthusiasm and unconditional support, I say MERCI ! Many people invited me to walk the red carpet of the #METGALA2023 in tribute to Daddy, but we preferred to stay peacefully & cozy at home. We pay tribute to my Daddy every day since his parting and we are very moved to see one more day dedicated to him. With love, forever Choupette❤️."
The message, which was also written in French, appears on cat's official Instagram account.
Choupette -- who was a gift to the late designer from model Baptiste Giabiconi -- rarely left Lagerfeld's side. After Lagerfeld died in February 2019 at the age of 85, Choupette was adopted by his former housekeeper, Françoise Caçot -- who also runs the Instagram account.
Although Choupette won't be on hand for the annual benefit, she has been helping attendees prep.
Last week, Kim Kardashian took to Instagram to share a selfie with her and the photogenic feline.
"Had a date with @choupetteofficiel in Paris. We then spent some time at @karllagerfeld’s office to get a little inspiration for the Met," the SKIMS founder wrote next to the post.
Ahead of Monday's big event, ET's Rachel Smith spoke with the exhibit's head curator, Andrew Bolton, who shared whether Choupette will make a grand appearance for an evening dedicated to her father.
"I was trying to persuade Anna that she would be an honorary co-chair for the exhibition," he told ET. "But I think she's gonna be at home tonight sort of resting with her cat food."
Bolton added that Choupette would be at the Met "in spirit."
The theme this year is "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" and celebrates the full work and life of the late designer. The exhibition -- which opens to the public on May 5 and closes July 16 -- features 150 of Lagerfeld's designs from Chanel, Balmain, Patou, Fendi, Chloe as well as his own personal line and are accompanied by his sketches.
After the theme was announced in September, it sparked backlash due to Lagerfeld's alleged past problematic comments, including in 2009 that "no one wants to see round women." In 2018, he also said he was "fed up" with the #MeToo movement.
The dress code this year is "in honor of Karl" and the co-chairs for the spring fashion event are Michaela Coel, Penélope Cruz, Dua Lipa, tennis pro Roger Federer, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. The annual gala is a fundraiser for New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Entertainment Tonight is on the iconic Met Gala red carpet, so keep checking back with ETonline for more coverage from fashion's biggest night, including all of the jaw-dropping red carpet looks.
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