Sotheby’s has postponed the controversial sale of a dazzling cache of jewels linked to the remains of the Buddha after India’s government slammed the auction and called for the gems’ return. In a statement emailed to CNN on Wednesday, the auction house said its decision came “in light of the matters” raised by officials in India, where the jewels were dug up more than a century ago by a British colonial official. The postponement, which Sotheby’s said was agreed to by the sellers, will “allow for discussions between the parties,” the statement added. The collection of “gem relics” — including amethysts, pearls, carnelians, shell and embossed gold sheets — was set to go up for auction in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Described by Sotheby’s auction house as having “unparalleled religious, archaeological and historical importance,” the gem relics are considered sacred by many Buddhists, who believe they are the corporeal remains of the Buddha. “Nothing of comparable importance in early Buddhism has ever appeared at auction,” Sotheby’s had earlier said on its website. The web page dedicated to the sale has since been taken down. The gems were being sold by three descendants of William Claxton Peppé, a British colonial engineer who made the extraordinary discovery in the village of Piprahwa after excavating part of his estate in northern India in 1898. Though the Buddha was born in what is now Nepal, he became enlightened, first preached, and died in neighboring India. On Monday, India’s Ministry of Culture said it was taking “swift and comprehensive” measures to “immediately” stop the sale and “highlight the illegality of the auction and ensure compliance with international laws.” It also called on Sotheby’s to “return these sacred artifacts to their rightful place.” In a brief statement posted to Facebook on Wednesday, the ministry welcomed the auction house’s decision to postpone the sale, adding: “Further details will be shared in due course.” Peppé’s Birdpur estate was located in what is now northern Uttar Pradesh, about 20 kilometers from Lumbini, the Buddha’s birthplace across the border in Nepal. His excavation of the site uncovered an ancient Buddhist stupa and a huge sandstone sarcophagus-like tomb. Inside the cavern were five vessels containing about 1,800 gemstones and precious metals, dating to around 240 BCE, and small pieces of bone and ash. An inscription on one of the urns indicated the remains belonged to the Buddha, who had his ashes buried at eight separate sites following his death around 480 BCE. Historians have said the site was the first credible find of the Buddha’s relics in modern times and captured the imagination of Buddhist scholars and devotees ever since. “These gem relics (in all likelihood contributed by the Buddha’s clansmen), are, by association, as valuable as the ash and bone pieces (of the Buddha) themselves that were found alongside them,” said Karam Tej S. Sarao, former professor and head of the department of Buddhist Studies at the University of Delhi. The gems put up for auction were a small portion of the original find. Following the discovery, the bone and ash fragments were gifted by the British to King Chulalongkorn of Siam, now Thailand. They are now spread across important Buddhist sites in Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Most of the gems were sent to an Indian museum in Kolkata, according to the Indian government, and a fifth of the total find — consisting of duplicates of the main collection — were retained by Peppé. Controversial auction The upcoming sale of the gems handed down to Peppé’s descendants had sparked criticism among several historians. “There is a limit to greed. Commercialization… of the relic gems must be stopped,” said Sarao, the former professor. “The gems should be immediately handed over to the Indian government” to be “enshrined in the Piprahwā Stūpa where they belong,” he added. Curator Conan Cheong and Professor Ashley Thompson of SOAS, University of London, both specialists in Southeast Asian Buddhist art, wrote in a joint paper that the sale amounted to “perpetuating colonial violence.” The relics are considered the “corporeal remains imbued with the living presence of the Buddha” and so, “for the Buddhists who deposited them, as for many Buddhists today, gems, bone and ash are all relics,” they wrote. Chris Peppé, great grandson of William Claxton Peppé, and two of his cousins now have possession of the gem relics. Since inheriting them in 2013, the family have “sought to make them available for viewing by the public (ideally a Buddhist public).” Through the Piprahwa Project, the family has made research on the gem relics available to the public and the gems have been exhibited in museums around the world. Prior to the auction’s postponement, Chris Peppé told CNN that his family believe the 334 items in their possession should go to Buddhists. “Despite exhibitions in major museums including the Met, there has been relatively little interest from the public (including Buddhists) in the gems. Choosing temples and museums for donation all presented different problems on closer scrutiny,” he said. “The auction seems to have finally brought the gems into the spotlight and may present the fairest and most transparent way to transfer this small part of the original find to Buddhists. Chris Peppé said 25% of the proceeds from the auction were due to be donated to “Buddhist institutions” and a further 25% to the display of the main Piprahwa collection in Kolkata, which has never been exhibited to the public.

A snack food sold in stores in the northeast has been recalled because of two undeclared allergens. New England Village Foods is recalling all lots of 5-ounce and 10-ounce containers of its 19th Hole Snack Mix because the products may contain undeclared almonds and sesame. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall on Tuesday. The recalled 19th Hole Snack Mix containers were distributed to independent grocery markets and convenience stores throughout New England, New York and Pennsylvania. Although no illnesses have been reported, people with "allergies to almonds or sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products," the FDA's announcement said. "The recall was initiated after a customer discovered that the almond-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of almonds," according to the FDA. "Additional review by the FDA revealed that the 'Contains' statement did not include sesame, despite being listed in the ingredient statement." Further investigation by the FDA "indicates the issue was caused by a temporary breakdown" in the company's packaging process. The FDA said production of the snack mix has been suspended. Consumers who purchased the recalled snack mix "are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund." New England Village Foods is in Milford, New Hampshire.

A boy in Lexington, Kentucky, may have to pick up a few more chores for his allowance after a sugar craving led to a costly mix-up. Holly LaFavers said her son, Liam, ordered about 70,000 lollipops to their home with her phone, The Associated Press (AP) reported. The 8-year-old used his mother's Amazon account to send 22 cases of Dum-Dums to the home. "He told me that he wanted to have a carnival, and he was ordering the Dum-Dums as prizes for his carnival," LaFavers told the AP. She said her young son "was being friendly. He was being kind to his friends." LaFavers said her bank account showed she owed over $4,000 for the order. "When I saw what the number was, I just about fainted," LaFavers said. Of the 22 cases delivered, there were eight more cases unaccounted for, LaFavers added. She went to the post office and found out the cases were returned to the sender. Although LaFavers did receive a refund for the purchase, it did take a while to get her money back. "After a long day of working with the bank and talking to a few news stations, Amazon called and they are refunding my money," she said in a social media post, according to the AP. To prevent another surprise order, LaFavers said she has changed some settings on her phone. "We're glad we were able to work directly with this customer to turn a sticky situation into something sweet," an Amazon spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

A Reddit user was irked when a friend of his girlfriend asked if she could come over to their place "just to use our kitchen." "I barely know her, and it's not like it's an emergency," user "Pikachu930" wrote recently on a Reddit forum. "But what made it even weirder is that my girlfriend told me we should feel honored that her friend asked us instead of someone else. That rubbed me the wrong way – it felt kind of entitled, like we're supposed to say yes out of flattery?" The friend also lives in a dorm and has a meal plan, said the Reddit writer. "It's not like she doesn't have options," he wrote. "She just suddenly wanted to cook something and decided her dorm kitchen was too gross." What also bothered the person on Reddit was that "this wasn't a social request at all." "It wasn't like, 'Hey, want to cook together sometime?' or 'Could we hang out and cook?'" Pikachu930 wrote. "It was literally, 'Can I use your kitchen to cook my own food?' That's it. No invitation to connect or spend time together – just a one-way request to use our space." The man shared that he uses the kitchen "99% of the time." "I do almost all the cooking and the dishes, so it feels like my personal space in the house," he continued. "It's not just a shared utility room to me. It's where I do something I actually enjoy and take care of both of us. So letting someone else use it, especially someone I don't know well, isn't something I'm automatically cool with." His girlfriend, however, told him he was "overreacting and being rude about her friend." He wondered if he was being overly sensitive about it, adding that he would have been OK with it if it were a one-time request. Yet the friend wanted to use the kitchen "for a whole week, including sharing our refrigerator space," to cook foods like chicken breast and avocado toast. "Makes no sense at all. Say no." Most users on the platform seemed to side with Pikachu930 — writing that he was "not the a--hole" for not wanting to share the kitchen with a stranger for a week. "The so-called friend needs to bite the bullet and clean her own kitchen," one user wrote. "Absolutely not," said another person. "She can batch-cook the chicken in an hour, she can make avocado freaking toast in her dorm kitchen — that's absurd. This is a ridiculous request that makes no sense at all. Say no." However, another user wrote that it seemed like "a pretty normal request." "You would not be [wrong] if you declined." "Dorm kitchens are terrible for people who actually enjoy cooking," said the commenter. "It does seem a little weird that your gf said you should be 'honored.' Is this girl a really excellent cook or is this a compliment paid to your kitchen?" The same commenter also pointed out that the choice is ultimately his. "This is probably just someone who enjoys cooking as an outlet and really misses it since moving into a dorm," the person stated. "Assuming she's respectful of the space and cleans up after herself, it would be kind to let her use your kitchen. But you would not be an a--hole if you declined to invite her into your space." Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert and founder of the Protocol School of Texas in San Antonio, agreed with that last sentiment. "Offering a part of your house, whether it's the kitchen or a spare bedroom, is a courtesy and a kindness when it's temporary," she told Fox News Digital. "At the very least, this person should offer some sort of compensation." "Using someone's kitchen over and over again, without offering to compensate in any way, is simply rude. It's taking advantage of the friendship. At the very least, this person should offer some sort of compensation, either financially or by taking them out to eat occasionally." Gottsman recommended that the girlfriend "set some guidelines and boundaries." "You don't have to go into big detail about why you don't want this other person to inconvenience you. It's obvious," Gottsman said. She suggested that the ask is "stretching the friendship – and it's also straining her relationship with her boyfriend." "I would also add that it's a big ask for a friend to borrow another friend's kitchen over a period of time without offering some type of kindness in return," Gottsman said. "It would not be inappropriate to feel taken advantage of, and for the sake of the friendship, boundaries must be put into place."

The Senate voted on Tuesday to confirm Frank Bisignano as commissioner of the Social Security Administration, which has been thrown into turmoil after a three-month stretch steered largely by Elon Musk’s unofficial Department of Government Efficiency. President Trump’s nominee was confirmed by a vote of 53 to 47, which had been expected and was split along party lines. Mr. Bisignano, a former Wall Street executive, will take the helm at a critical juncture. A series of recent changes led by DOGE, including deep job cuts and a move to manipulate sensitive databases, have rattled current and former employees, former commissioners of both parties, beneficiaries and their advocates. They have been alarmed by the fast and seemingly haphazard shifts, as well as the departure from established protocols that protect beneficiaries’ privacy and ensure they continue to receive payments. The question is whether Mr. Bisignano, 65, the former chief of the payments giant Fiserv, will steady the agency, which delivers retirement, disability and survivor payments to 73 million Americans every month. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Senator Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho who leads the Finance Committee, urged his colleagues last week to vote in favor of Mr. Bisignano, emphasizing his decades of experience leading large financial institutions and noting his commitment to improving customer service at the agency. But Democratic lawmakers remained unconvinced, and they continued to raise many of the same concerns they grilled Mr. Bisignano about during his three-hour Senate confirmation hearing in late March: Would he give in to calls by DOGE that could further hobble the program, or will he act independently in the best interest of the agency and its beneficiaries? Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat, spoke against his confirmation on Monday, expressing concerns that Mr. Bisignano would simply “rubber-stamp” Mr. Trump’s and Mr. Musk’s agenda. “He’ll let them keep slashing services and threatening benefits,” she said from the Senate floor. “That will hurt people everywhere — from seniors who count on their monthly checks right now, to the parents of kids with a disability supported by Social Security, to every American paying into the program now for later down the line.” Mr. Bisignano, who is viewed as a turnaround expert, has held positions at several of Wall Street’s marquee firms, including Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase. He earned $100 million in 2017, more than 2,000 times the average employee’s salary at his firm at the time, First Data Corporation, which later merged with Fiserv. Despite calling himself “fundamentally a DOGE person” in a February interview on CNBC, Mr. Bisignano appeared to distance himself from the recent changes at the Social Security Administration during his March nomination hearing. That characterization was challenged at the hearing by Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, who produced a statement that he said was from a whistle-blower. Mr. Wyden, citing the letter, said that Mr. Bisignano had personally intervened to get key DOGE officials involved at the agency, including one who was approved in the middle of the night. Senate Republicans quickly dismissed those concerns, stating he addressed the allegations during the hearing and in writing. “He has stated that he does not currently have a role at the S.S.A. and was not part of the decision-making process led by the acting commissioner, Lee Dudek, about S.S.A. operations, personnel or management,” Senator Crapo said in a statement. For Mr. Dudek, the appointment caps a chaotic run, which began when Mr. Musk’s DOGE team arrived at the agency. A former fraud adviser in middle management for the Social Security Administration, Mr. Dudek had an unlikely rise to the role of acting commissioner, overseeing an agency of roughly 57,000 employees. Mr. Dudek was given the position when Michelle King, the previous acting commissioner, left abruptly after refusing to give DOGE representatives access to sensitive private data about millions of Americans. During Mr. Dudek’s short tenure, the Social Security Administration announced plans to cut 12 percent, or 7,000 employees, from its staff and issued stark new policies that were quickly rolled back — all while field offices experienced more technology interruptions and a rise in phone wait times. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT In April, the White House began to use some of the agency’s closely guarded data systems as a tool for immigration enforcement, a decision that is likely the Trump administration’s most controversial for the S.S.A., and steers it away from its mandate as a social insurance program. Over the past two months, there were several other dizzying changes. At one point, in response to a judge’s order, Mr. Dudek threatened to shut down the system used for all of the Social Security Administration’s work — only to back down hours later. He also cut contracts to the state of Maine in retaliation for a spat its governor got into with Mr. Trump. That move was walked back as well. Social Security employees have described the environment as chaotic, and morale, which was already strained because of heavy workloads spread among a thin staff, as low. The American Federation of Government Employees General Committee, and its local unit representing Social Security workers, said in a statement that they “appreciate Mr. Bisignano’s vow to ‘run the agency in the right fashion,’ as long as that means a course correction from January.”

There were many firsts at the 2025 Met Gala — it was the first exhibition to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first year the event raised more than $30 million in donations. But among these record-breaking moments was an important return. After a hiatus of more than two decades, disco legend and one-third of The Supremes, Diana Ross, graced the Met steps once more for fashion’s biggest night of the year. Ross, who last attended the Met Gala back in 2003, arrived at the event Monday adorned in feathers and sporting a jaw-dropping 18-foot-long train. It took five men to carry the star’s hand-embroidered ivory white accessory, which enveloped the carpeted steps when laid flat. But hidden in the yards of fabric was a small detail many may have missed. “It has (stitched) the names of all my children and my eight grandchildren,” Ross told Vogue carpet-side, calling the dress “a forever family gown.” On her arm was Evan Ross, her son and the co-creator of the look. “She is the best thing. She is the Met Ball,” he told Vogue. Ross worked with Ugo Mozie, a Nigerian designer and founder of fashion label Eleven Sixteen to bring his mother’s show-stopping ensemble to life. “Family. Heritage. Legacy,” Mozie posted on social media. “So grateful to be a part of this special moment. To have co-designed this work of art for an Icon.” Underneath the larger-than-life train, the Motown singer donned a crystal-embellished spaghetti-strapped gown and a dazzling pair of chandelier earrings. On her head sat a custom, wide-brimmed feathered hat by LA-based milliner Sarah Sokol. Despite being one of the most memorable outfits of the evening, Ross let slip that her appearance was actually last minute. “There was not a plan,” she said. “My son persuaded me (to come), because I’m actually on tour. He said, ‘Mom, you gotta go.’” Luckily for us, she had just the thing to wear.

Ahead of a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee, former Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance at the Met Gala in New York, along with husband Doug Emhoff, wearing a custom black-and-white gown by Off-White. Though they skipped the red carpet, Harris appears in photos ahead of the event wearing an elegant silk silhouette with an asymmetrical cape sleeve and a long scarf — a look meant to evoke a sense of timelessness, according to the luxury label. The former vice president was invited by Vogue editor-in-chief and Met Gala co-chair Anna Wintour, according to a spokesperson for Harris. She has made few high-profile appearances since losing the presidential election in November, though she has recently given two speeches at the Leading Women Defined Summit and Emerge Gala, the latter of which benefits an organization that recruits and trains women to run for office. In both, Harris has rebuked US President Trump’s first 100 days in office. “Instead of an administration working to advance America’s highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals,” she said at the Emerge Gala last Wednesday. “And what we are also seeing in these last 14 weeks is Americans using their voice and showing their courage.” Over the course of her vice presidency, Harris’ fashion choices often evoked subtle symbolism, from the suffrage-associated white suit and pussybow blouse she wore as she stepped into the role, to a tan Chloé suit at last year’s Democratic National Convention that seemed to be a playful nod to former President Obama. The former vice president also appeared on the cover of Vogue twice, with her first portrait igniting debate over her more casual demeanor in a black jacket and Converse sneakers, photographed by Tyler Mitchell. At the Met Gala, Harris celebrated the spirit of the Costume Institute’s exhibition “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” in her look from Off-White. The show explores the exuberant and subversive history of Black dandyism, based on the landmark book “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” by the show’s guest curator and scholar Monica L. Miller. The exhibition on Black sartorial history is going on during an uncertain time for museums, as the Trump administration has made calls to end crucial federal funding for the arts and has targeted Smithsonian museums for their exhibitions on race and gender. “To me the true core of dandyism is rooted in confidence and strength. There is no person who exemplifies these characteristics more than Kamala D. Harris, someone who has overcome adversity and continues to be a beacon for so many,” Off-White creative director IB Kamara said in a statement shared with CNN. The night marks her first appearance at the Met Gala, though she’s far from the only politician to grace the museum’s steps during fashion’s biggest night out. In 2022, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended the Met Gala for the first time in two decades wearing a red Altuzarra gown embroidered with the names of trailblazing American women, including Harriet Tubman and Eleanor Roosevelt. The year prior, US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a splashy statement in a white Brother Vellies gown emblazoned with “Tax the Rich” in red. Wintour has said, however, that US President Trump is persona non grata at the event. In 2017, during his first term, the Vogue editor told James Corden on his late-night talk show that he is one person she would “never invite back.”

Parents throughout the country are putting their children's generosity, empathy and ethics to the test through the viral TikTok "cookie challenge." The challenge leaves one parent without a cookie to see how children will respond. Some toddlers happily share a cookie with their mom or dad — while others burst into tears, quickly scarf down their single treat or even suggest their parents buy more. "I saw many different versions of the cookie challenge going around and was curious what my daughter's reaction would be," Haylee Jandreau of Portland, Maine, told Fox News Digital. "She is sensitive, incredibly empathetic and very in tune with emotions. She regularly gets teary-eyed about dinosaurs being extinct, so I thought she would share with me right away." Jandreau and her husband, Jacob, decided to try the challenge on their 4-year-old daughter, Maven. When the child realized her mom was the only one who didn't get a cookie, the girl paused to consider the dilemma before taking a bite and suggesting that Jandreau get one "from Target." "We had no idea what his reaction would be." "She is wise beyond her four years and highly motivated by sugary treats," Jandreau said. "So, I should have known that she would have a well-thought-out plan to see me happy and enjoying a cookie, but not at her expense. Her mind is always going – and this was no exception." Hannah Cook, a mother from Nashville, Tennessee, caught her son Judah's emotional reaction when she didn't get a cookie. He bawled for about two seconds and then handed his mom a cookie. "A true empath," she captioned the video. "Love him so much." Her video received more than 90 million views. (See the video at the top of this article.) "We had no idea what his reaction would be," Cook told Fox News Digital. "We honestly weren't expecting what ended up happening. We had an inkling he'd share because that's what we prioritize in our house." But is the cookie challenge any sort of measure of a child's capacity for empathy? The short answer is no, according to Dallas-based licensed clinical social worker Mary Margaret Fair. "Empathy is a complex emotion that requires a level of cognitive capacity, as well as emotional intelligence that develops throughout childhood," Fair said. "There is no scientific backing to this challenge. Thus, we are unsure if this challenge can measure empathy or if it's measuring something else." Fair said basic empathy only starts to develop in children from 2 to 4 years old. Generosity or greediness aren't necessarily part of the equation either, she said. "I would consider these as a learned behavior rather than empathy, which is a feeling," she said. "That said, there may not be a specific age [at] which this develops, though this would likely be taught within a structured learning environment [by] either other children or adults." There are plenty of other factors that may be involved in a child's decision to share. "I work with a lot of families from different socioeconomic backgrounds," Fair said. "This cookie challenge is just a fun and lighthearted activity to do with your family." "With this experience in mind, there could be a lot of factors at play in determining whether a child will or will not share in these types of challenges. Some factors include food security, current mood, time of day, relationships with parents or even cognitive or developmental limitations." The only conclusion anyone can deduct from the cookie challenge is whether a child is willing to share a cookie in that moment, Fair said. "Nothing more, from my perspective at least," Fair said. "This cookie challenge is just a fun and lighthearted activity to do with your family." Cook agreed. "I think every kid is different and each age is different," she said. "[Judah's] only 2, and our expectations of him are not high for this age. But it does show us that what we're telling him and instilling in him is working."

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is not sugar-coating anything when it comes to tackling Americans' health. Last month, he announced a ban on petroleum-based synthetic dyes. "Sugar is poison. And Americans need to know that it is poisoning us," Kennedy said at the time. While he does not think HHS will be able to eliminate sugar, he said he hopes that Americans will have a better understanding of the risks. "I think what we need to do probably is give Americans knowledge about how much sugar is in their products, and also with the new nutrition guidelines, give them a very clear idea about how much sugar they should be using, which is zero," said RFK Jr. California-based certified nutritionist Courtney Swan of Realfoodology told Fox News Digital, "I don't think Americans truly understand how much sugar [they're] actually eating on a daily basis." "People think, 'If I'm not having candy and cookies or a soda, then I'm really not getting that much sugar.' They're not realizing that the sugar is in their salad dressing, soups and sauces that they're buying," said Swan. American adults consume around 60 pounds of sugar per year, according to the American Heart Association. It was also revealed that Americans consume more than two to three times the recommended daily allowance of sugar. "People are over-consuming and not even realizing how much they're having on a day-to-day basis," shared Swan. She brought up a recent example of high-fructose corn syrup as an ingredient listed on a pickle jar. High-fructose corn syrup is a processed sweetener derived from corn starch, which Swan classifies as an "ultraprocessed, refined sugar." The syrup is "so far removed from its original source that it's not even recognizable as something that would be considered food anymore," Swan told Fox News Digital. "What the whole [MAHA] movement is about — and everything that I have been talking about for the last 15 years — is that we're just not eating real food anymore," she said. Glucose and fructose are the two main sources of sugar, Swan revealed. "Glucose is what your body uses to create energy and fructose is something that completely bypasses that whole cycle and goes straight to the liver," she said. Americans should limit their consumption of fructose as much as possible. Instead, they should opt for glucose, which bodies are able to burn off and use for energy, Swan advised. She also recommends that Americans remain cognizant of what they're ingesting and pay attention to food labels. "If there's sugar in something that doesn't really need to be in there, that's a great way to cut it out," she said. She added that people should save sugar to indulge in as a treat instead of consuming it as a "hidden" ingredient in other foods. "I don't think Americans truly understand how much sugar [they're] actually eating on a daily basis." Jillian Lampert, Ph.D., of The Emily Program, a national eating disorder care provider, told Fox News Digital that the brain relies on glucose, or sugar, as its main fuel source. "The statement that 'sugar is poison' is overly reductive and misleading, since sugar is a simple carbohydrate found in vast numbers of foods consumed every day as part of a balanced diet, including those with naturally occurring sugars, such as fruits and vegetables," said Lampert, who is based in Minnesota. "Frightening the public about sugar" could lead to parents removing nutritious foods from their children's diets, she warned, potentially creating an unhealthy relationship with food.

After revealing her second pregnancy in dramatic fashion during her 2023 halftime Super Bowl performance, Rihanna has followed up by debuting her third on the Met Gala red carpet. The last attendee to arrive at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday evening, the star wore a pinstripe Marc Jacobs ensemble, accentuating her baby bump, with a polkadot cravat and oversized hat. Rihanna’s pregnancy announcement came on an historic evening, co-chaired by her partner A$AP Rocky, that celebrated exuberant Black style and dandyism. The evening’s theme was inspired by the Met’s accompanying Costume Institute exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” A$AP Rocky arrived hours earlier wearing a self-designed outfit that he told Vogue was “a bit of Harlem Nights,” referencing Eddie Murphy’s classic 1989 crime comedy movie. He accessorized with an umbrella and red-soled Christian Louboutin shoes. The singer and rapper have two sons together. Earlier in the day, the Barbadian singer was photographed walking around New York in the rain in a gray-blue cropped top and skirt set with a fur stole and 1920s-style cloche hat with a visible bump, igniting conversation online. On the Met Gala red carpet, A$AP Rocky confirmed the news to Reuters, saying “it feels amazing” to reveal Rihanna’s pregnancy at the event. CNN has reached out to Rihanna’s representatives. Rihanna wasn’t the only celebrity with a pregnancy reveal on the red carpet, with model Karlie Kloss appearing in a black buttoned jacket with high lapels — her first appearance since announcing her third child in March. The Met Gala red carpet has become a popular place for pregnancy reveals, with model Adwoa Aboah doing so last year in a ruffled red two-piece set, and tennis star Serena Williams and Kloss (again) the year prior. “There’s three of us here,” Wiliams told La La Anthony during Vogue’s live red carpet show in 2023. “I can stop hiding now,” she added. That same year, Rihanna shut down the Karl Lagerfeld tribute-themed Met Gala, arriving last in an all-white Valentino gown and hooded coat adorned with a camellia flower motif, which she took off to reveal her growing baby bump. The singer and Fenty Beauty founder is widely credited for her influence on celebrity maternity style thanks to her daring looks throughout both of her pregnancies, from a third-trimester sheer skirt over a thong to Dior’s Fall-Winter 2022 show, to a green and purple metallic fringe set by The Atitco to a Fenty Beauty event. “When I found out I was pregnant, I thought to myself, ‘There’s no way I’m going to go shopping in no maternity aisle.’ I’m sorry — it’s too much fun to get dressed up,” she told Vogue for the magazine’s May 2022 cover. “I’m not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing.” The all-red unzipped flight suit, matching catsuit and sculpted leather corset — designed by Loewe under creative director Jonathan Anderson — that Rihanna wore during her halftime Super Bowl performance the next year became immediately engrained in pop culture history.