May 5
2024 Rewind: Too Hot for the Met Gala? Italian Model Eugenio Casnighi Is Fired for Attracting Too Much Attention Last Year
READ TIME: 3 MIN.
This piece is part of EDGE's 2024 Rewind series. We're reaching into our archives and sharing some of our favorite stories from the past year.
Italian model Eugenio Casnighi's specs read that he 6'1", wears a size 38 suit with a 30" waist, his eyes and hair are brown, and his shoe size is 10.5.
And this week he can add to his resume that he is too handsome to be part of tomorrow's Met Gala.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, the 26-year-old "revealed he's been fired from working at this year's Met Gala because his rugged good looks upstaged stars including Kylie Jenner."
Casnighi had been hired for the two previous galas where his role as "greeter" was to accompany Gala guests on the red carpet and as needed during the event.
@eugeni0_ Well well well this is gonna be fun #metgala2024 #metgala2023 #metgala #jennie #kyliejenner ♬ original sound - Eugenio
But just days before, he was told his services were not needed this year. He posted a TikTok video about it now that his previous non-disclosure agreements are not binding.
"I just got fired from the Met Gala," the handsome Italian says leaning into the camera. He then points to himself at last year's event with Kylie Jenner, the celebrity he was assigned to shadow throughout the evening. He also included a video interview with Emma Chamberlain interviewing Blackpink's Jennie Kim with Casnighi in the background. But the videographer turned the camera on Casnighi, making him the focus and an immediate internet meme. "You might remember that the footage went viral last year, as text appearing on the screen read: 'Trying to focus on Emma interviewing Jennie but...'"
Casnighi went on to claim that he was previously unable to address the situation because he was allegedly under an NDA.
He continued: "It's funny enough. They fired me so I can say whatever I want now."
He also sees the Met Gala organizers as blaming him for the attention he received; "They blamed me. They said 'you made it about yourself, so we don't want to work with you anymore.' They let me know today that they cut me off. They fired me because I went viral last year."
"It's funny because the Met Gala and the company that I'm not going to mention... want models to work the red carpet. They want people to get noticed. They literally told me 'we picked you because we like you more than other people'.
"But when people took pictures of the actual celebrity, like Kylie Jenner and [I] was next to her, of course I ended up in the picture."
Casnighi told the Daily Mail that he has emails and messages that corroborate his claims.
He also told the DM that none of the guests "have been rude to him," but once they realized he was an employee, "some people completely change. They kind of vanish. They stop talking to me and start talking to the actual guests."
Check out pics from Casnighi's IG: