The 2026 Met Gala is one of the biggest events of the year for many celebrities, but this year, it’s funded by Jeff Bezos, leading to symbolic protests. One of those protests was even held right on Bezos’ $120 million penthouse in New York City, where an elderly, disgruntled Amazon worker called out the Amazon mogul for getting rich off poorer people’s sweat and hard work. The clip has since gone viral.
On May 4, 72-year-old Amazon worker named Mary Hill, with the help of activist group Everyone Hates Elon, projected her speech on Bezos’ New York penthouse. After introducing herself, Hill has a brief message to Bezos, “When we struggle from paycheck to paycheck, it really angers me. Because if it weren’t for every associate in every Amazon facility, he wouldn’t have all those zeros behind his name.”
“Shame on you Jeff Bezos. The people that need to be being celebrated at the Met Gala are the workers. People like me. We deserve that celebration. We deserve so much more than we’re getting,” adds Hill. She concluded in her protest that, “There’s power in numbers and there’s more of us than there are of you… If we built it, we can tear it down… We’re going to keep fighting this dystopian culture.”
Hill’s projection speech at Bezos’ penthouse has since racked up millions of views online, with the call to action to boycott Bezos’ Met Gala. Other forms of protest also included a street red-carpet fashion show just outside the Met Gala venue, where people mocked Met Gala celebrities and walked around wearing slogans such as “Eat the Rich.”
People Online are Resonating With the Amazon Worker
Hill has since gained admiration from numerous people online, with many praising her for still working at the age of 72 while having the courage to speak up for her fellow Amazon workers. Still, some commenters had to point out the tragedy in her situation, “That was real hurt in what she said. 72 years old, she should be happily retired doing whatever she damn well pleases. This America sucks.”
Others intensified their calls to boycott Amazon, pointing out that Bezos could still be rich while giving his workers supposedly fairer compensation, “He could pay well, give his employees amazing working conditions fantastic health benefits and still be incredibly wealthy.”
Some feared for Mary Hill and how she might lose her job after speaking out against Jeff Bezos, “I fully appreciate this, but also hope this woman doesn’t lose her job.” Meanwhile, other celebrities have either joined the 2026 Met Gala boycott or didn’t attend, including certain A-listers like Billie Eilish.
