The actress was one of several stylish celebs absent from this year’s event, which she last attended in 2018

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Selena Gomez at the SAG Awards in February 2024. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty 

Selena Gomez was sorely missed on the 2024 Met Gala red carpet — but she had a good reason for skipping!

The singer and actress, 31, did not attend fashion’s biggest night because she was busy working, a source confirms to PEOPLE.

The multi-hyphenate is currently juggling new music, her Rare Beauty empire and filming Only Murders in the Building’s “star-studded” fourth season, so she was (unfortunately!) occupied during the May 6 event. She also has a big red carpet moment coming later this month — the Emilia Perez Cannes premiere.

And, just like the stars at the actual gala, Gomez was in good company, as style stand-outs like Rihanna, Katy Perry and the singer’s BFF Taylor Swift were among the stars absent from the iconic New York City event this year.

The “Umbrella” singer — who planned to attend the gala and even teased her look! — had to skip after falling ill, PEOPLE exclusively revealed, while Perry and Swift, like Gomez, were busy with work.

Selena Gomez at her first Met Gala in 2014. Larry Busacca/Getty

At her very first Met Gala in 2014, the Wizards of Waverly Place star hit the The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s iconic steps in a wine-colored, mermaid-style gown by Diane von Furstenberg.

She accessorized the floor-length evening dress with an icy eye look, deep plum lipstick and dangling silver earrings, which paired perfectly with her sleek updo.

For her sophomore Met Gala look in 2015, the “Naturally” singer stunned in a custom ivory gown by Vera Wang and matching flower headpiece.

Selena Gomez at the 2016 Met Gala. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

In 2016, she opted for a look that was noticeably more casual. At the event, themed “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” Gomez rocked a high ponytail and head-to-toe Louis Vuitton.

The star of the look being a cream-colored gown from the brand’s Fall 2016 collection, which was customized with sequins and made edgier with a black leather bodice overlay, lace-up boots and a boxy clutch.

In 2017, Gomez made her red carpet debut with then-boyfriend, The Weeknd (she is currently dating producer and chef Benny Blanco) in a cream and floral gown by Coach.

The Disney alum paired the dainty dress — which featured delicate floral embroidery, lace trim and a thigh-high front slit — with a matching handbag and dazzling Tiffany Co. choker.

Selena Gomez at the 2017 Met Gala. John Shearer/Getty

The following year, which marked her most recent Met Gala appearance, she rocked perhaps her most memorable look to date.

And, while her stunning sheer gown (another Coach creation!) was a stand-out in the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion The Catholic Imagination”-themed event, it was her tan, the result of a slight beauty blunder, that stole the show.

Reflecting on the unusually tan complexion during a 2021 Vogue Beauty Secrets video, the star revealed it was the product of too much tanning lotion.

By the time Gomez saw a photo of herself at the gala, she thought to herself, “I am completely orange,” she said in the video, laughing.

“I was like, ‘This is going to be terrible because I’m going to get eaten alive about this.’ “