Nicole Kidman's daughter Sunday Rose breaks strict Met Gala rule
Nicole Kidman’s daughter Sunday Rose made her Met Gala debut this year, but it was along with a rule-breaking moment that fans spotted almost immediately.
The 17-year-old joined her famous mum on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Monday (4 May), turning the night into a seriously sweet mother-daughter outing.
Of course, this was still the Met Gala, so the fashion did a lot of the talking.
Kidman, 58, arrived in a long-sleeved red sequin Chanel gown with feathered sleeves, while Sunday Rose wore a strapless purple floral Chanel dress.
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However, away from the outfits, cameras, and A-list arrivals, there was one detail that made her appearance particularly surprising.
For anyone watching at home, it was a particularly small red carpet detail that might not have been a big deal to some, but is absolutely notable in context.
"I thought kids ain't allow at the met till 18," one person wrote on X.
Someone else questioned: "Wait… how can sunday rose attend? All attendees have to be 18. Is it because she has a chaperone?"
Sunday Rose was reportedly allowed onto the carpet, despite the Met Gala’s longstanding rule that guests must be over the age of 18.
The Met Gala's rule of over 18s only
This rule was implemented in 2018, with that year's theme being 'Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination', and it's believed to be a health and safety precaution.
A Met Gala spokesperson later confirmed the age restriction was introduced as 'it's not an appropriate event for people under 18'.
The teen was not the only celebrity child to spark conversation over the rule either, as Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter, 14, also attended this year’s event.
According to Just Jared, both teenagers were likely able to attend because their mums were serving as co-chairs for the 2026 Met Gala.
What do the Met Gala co-chairs actually do?
While Anna Wintour and the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute handle the actual planning of the Met Gala, the co-chairs play a major role in shaping the event.
The role of co-chair goes beyond the traditional hosting duties. It’s believed they oversee the guest list, interior design, and even help curate the highly anticipated menu to bring the chosen theme to life, though Wintour has the final say.
Often influential figures in fashion, film, music, or sports, they act as public faces of the Met Gala and ultimately attract media attention, high-profile guests and donors - it is a fundraising event after all.
Joining Beyoncé and Kidman as co-chairs for the 2026 Met Gala were Venus Williams and Vogue’s global editorial director Anna Wintour.
It marks Kidman’s third time as a co-chair, previously holding the position in 2003 and 2005, and she appeared more than happy to share the huge fashion moment with her daughter.
Footage from the event showed the pair walking hand-in-hand up the famous steps, with Kidman proudly gesturing towards Sunday Rose before bowing down and kissing her hand.
The Big Little Lies star also opened up on the carpet about having her daughter there for the major night, saying it was ‘amazing’ to bring her along.
Kidman had already hinted that Sunday Rose was interested in fashion during an appearance on Las Culturistas earlier this year.
The actor mentioned: “She loves fashion,” and Monday night made that quite clear.
Sunday Rose, whose dad is country singer Keith Urban, has been stepping further into the spotlight recently, and her Met Gala debut was always going to get people talking.
Kidman also shares 15-year-old Faith Margaret with Urban, whom she separated from after 19 years of marriage in September last year.
She adopted two children with her ex-husband, Tom Cruise: Isabella, now 33, and Connor, now 31.
Strict rules all celebrities must follow at the Met Gala
No selfies allowed
Paps might go wild on the Met Gala red carpet, capturing all the celebs on fashion's biggest night out, but some guests will be pained by the fact that they can't take their own photos, because selfies are strictly banned.
Anna Wintour issued the selfie ban back in 2015 in the hopes of keeping the inner workings of the Met Gala behind lock and key.
However, some rebellious few have flouted the rule over the years, as there's always one who sneaks a phone to the toilet for a cheeky bathroom selfie, which later pops up on social media.
Certain foods are banned
There are certain foods that are banned from the event, and not for any real rhyme or reason other than the way they could pose a red carpet disaster.
Things like chives could be dangerous if they get stuck in anyone's teeth before photos. Onion and garlic are also banned in order to prevent bad breath, and other dishes which could easily spill onto dresses.
Wintour has addressed the rumours that the likes of onion, chives and garlic are banned from the event, telling Today host Jenna Bush Hager in 2024: "Well, those are three things I'm not particularly fond of, and so yes, that's true."
Strict seating plan
If you're stuck next to your arch-nemesis at the Met Gala, tough. Because you aren't allowed to move seats.
Seating arrangements are strictly maintained, with a lot of 'power-brokering' in the planning beforehand.
"A lot of thought goes into who sits next to who, if they sat together last year, if they've sat next to each other at other events, so much goes into it, it's shocking," Sylvana Ward Durrett, former director of special projects at Vogue, said in the 2016 documentary The First Monday in May.
Cheeky cigarette? Absolutely not
No smoking is allowed at the glitzy fashion event, a rule which was reportedly recirculated after the likes of Bella Hadid, Dakota Johnson, and Marc Jacobs were pictured smoking in the bathrooms in 2017.
Met Gala guests the following year were reminded that it's 'illegal to smoke in the museum'.
It should be noted that smoking indoors in New York City has been banned since 2003, and prior invitations to the event have reiterated this.
Topics: Met Gala, Nicole Kidman, Fashion, Celebrity
Ben Williams