Lewis Hamilton, Rihanna’s Baby Bump and Bollywood’s Shah Rukh Khan Dominate Social Media During Met Gala

May. 07, 2025

Formula One star Lewis Hamilton and Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan were among the surprise winners of the Met Gala – according to social media. You’ve seen the best-dressed lists, but the final word unfolds across social, and digital media agency Stripe Theory picked up every beat, using a detailed "social listening" process to track what users loved – and loathed – about fashion’s biggest night. Using keyword tracking and nuanced data measurement, Stripe Theory chronicles raw, unfiltered feedback in real-time to gauge sentiment. 

And according to their findings –  culled from X, Instagram, Reddit, Facebook and digital news coverage – here’s who ruled the Met Gala conversation: 

From Best:

• Lewis Hamilton won the night: Dapper Met Gala host Lewis Hamilton, in Burberry, drove the most mentions across all platforms at 35% of all Met Gala chair people, proving that athletes wield a lot of cultural clout online . Colman Domingo came in second at 20%, A$AP Rocky at 15%.
• Rihanna revealed her pregnancy: Rihanna is always a Met Gala show-stopper, but this year, she had help from her new baby bump (and custom Marc Jacobs), which ignited a spike in positive conversations. 
• Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's had the most mentions of all Met Gala guests: Honoring his heritage, Khan wore Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and drove 1.5 million mentions out of all global mentions, more than any other Met Gala attendee. The overwhelming stat proves the enormous international power of the Bollywood fanbase.

To Worst:

• Lisa Manoban's controversial look: K-pop star Lisa Manoban's Louis Vuitton leggings —which featured Rosa Parks embroidered into the bikini area–caused a stir of mixed reactions, becoming one of the key drivers of the negative sentiment that emerged across platforms. It was a reminder that ethics and social responsibility are high priority for users.

Isys Caffey-Horne, President and Head of Strategic communication, Stripe Theory said:

“Overall, what can be gleaned from our Met Gala social listening statistics is that conversations that unfold online can really surprise you. While everyone knew Rihanna’s reveal would turn heads, few would have likely predicted that an F1 driver and a Bollywood star would be so huge across social. It’s a message to brands, marketers and thought leaders everywhere: Think bigger, and diversify your target audiences. Sometimes it takes a cultural moment like this historic Met Gala to bring those audiences into focus."