The Worst-Dressed Celebs At The 2026 Academy Museum Gala

The 2026 Academy Museum Gala took place during spooky season and, unfortunately, many celebrities took that to heart. Several people walked the red carpet in outfits that gave us major jump scares — from gowns styled like literal cheese puffs, to jarring patterns, to several outfits that would actually make for fabulous celebrity-inspired Halloween costumes (in case you're looking for inspiration).

Some celebrities, like Kim Kardashian, have made our list of the worst-dressed celebs at the Academy Museum Gala before, and they are back again this year. There are outfits that take animal-inspired way too far, dresses that are startling to look at, and looks that convinced us polka dots are officially out of fashion.

Many celebrities looked amazing at the gala, including Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, but many others should reconsider working with their stylists again in the future. No, this does not mean they always dress badly, just that their outfits were utterly cringeworthy this time around. Here are the nine celebrities who were the worst-dressed at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala.

Did Teyana Taylor steal Wonder Woman's breastplate for the 2026 Academy Museum Gala? It certainly seems that way, as her creamy blue bodice was molded to her body, showing every line of her ribs, abdomen, breasts, and nipples. The Schiaparelli dress featured a sheer blue-and-biege ombre skirt embellished with light blue flowers and crystals. This look would have gone better if the rest of the dress matched the skirt, in our opinion. As it was, she looked like a superhero whose only crime she was fighting was her own outfit (and she lost).

Are polka dots still trendy? There are mixed opinions. Some say no, while others believe the print still works for fall 2026. No matter your take on the matter, we can all agree that Kendall Jenner's mismatched polka dot getup at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala was a miss. Her custom Valentino gown was black with small white dots on the torso and white with huge black dots on the full skirt. (And what's up with those tassels on her hips?) A thigh-high slit showed off her heels, which — you guessed it! — also featured polka dots. Yikes!

Tinashe seemingly couldn't make up her mind at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala. It looks like she threw a bunch of purple fabrics together and called it a day. Her gown featured a full lavender tulle skirt from her thighs to ankles with a sheer lilac lace corset covering her waist and hips. The top part of her dress was plum, with two pieces of fabric over her breasts like a bikini top, and matching long-sleeves. Purple is clearly her favorite color, but as for what else she was thinking with this outfit, we have no idea.

Janelle Monáe's Robert Wun dress featured a huge black-and-purple shimmery gown at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala. The butterfly wings were fastened just below her neck, framing her face, with a matching black-and-purple mermaid-style dress down below, covered in shiny sequins. She wore over-the-elbow, sheer, black-and-purple matching gloves. The only thing missing from this butterfly costume were the antennae she should have worn on her head. Fashion is about making bold choices, but this one seemed more silly than a serious style moment.

Kim Kardashian was seemingly trying to go classy with her outfit at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala, with a dazzling, 55-carat diamond necklace in 18k white gold, and diamond earrings. But her vintage Balenciaga dress wasn't our favorite, with its light pink sash wrapped around her bust that resembled a huge bandage. The cream, mermaid-style skirt wasn't much better as it was extremely fitted around her waist, hips, and thighs, and only slightly billowing out at the bottom like her mermaid had a baby-sized fin. The random white balls and lacy stripes didn't do the dress any favors, either.

Tracee Ellis Ross' bright orange beaded gown at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala was giving Pepe the King Prawn from "The Muppets." The one-shoulder dress was covered in strings of orange beads, which somehow were the exact color of cheese puffs. Ross was far from a snack, though, in the tiered dress with an asymmetrical hemline and clear plastic heels that made her feet look naked. Her sparkly, dangly earrings did nothing to make this outfit appear more glamorous.

We're not obsessed with Inde Navarrette's tan 2026 Academy Museum Gala gown, which featured different-sized, randomly spaced black and brown textured polka dots. The top's vintage-style pointed breast cups and the puffy bottom layer over her legs made for an unusual silhouette. And right in the middle was a random puff of fabric that encircled her upper thighs and looked just like a little kid who's trapped a bubble in their swimsuit at the pool. Surely, that wasn't the vibe Navarrette was going for? This was a hot mess of a dress.

From the top, Rhea Seehorn's white Balenciaga dress and black blazer combo looks like a normal, if not a little bland, outfit for the 2026 Academy Museum Gala. But keep panning down and your gaze will snag on a black fur underskirt that is so unnerving. Is she part bear? Did her fur rug accidentally get caught on her outfit and she went with it? Did she collect that much dog hair when she was getting ready? Any of those explanations would be better than if this style was intentional...

Was there some sort of dress-like-an-animal dress code at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala that we didn't know about? Why else would Jodie Turner-Smith also channel one of our four-legged friends with her brown-and-lilac zebra print dress and matching headpiece with a dramatic horn covering one eye? She wore sheer gloves underneath the cap-sleeved dress featuring the same pattern and colors of the dress, just in lighter shades. Even her white heels featured a tiny hint of the same pattern, tying the entire unusual look together.