Was Alia Bhatt really at the Met Gala 2026, or is this peak digital delusion?

The internet always loves a good fashion moment, but this time, things may have gone a bit too far. Well, as our feeds are flooded with the drama that unfolded at the Met Gala, one name is unexpectedly popping up. It is Alia Bhatt! Because some netizens think she attended the event, wearing a beautiful strapless garden-inspired ball gown.Well, the diva - who’s already walked the carpet twice - was noticeably missing this year, despite all the hype. But her fans clearly felt the gap. So much so, they started sharing AI-generated edits of her that looked almost real. Social media ran with it, and before you knew it, people were convinced she was at fashion’s biggest night. Except, she wasn’t there at all. The guest list from India saw popular figures like Karan Johar, Sudha Reddy, Manish Malhotra, Ananya Birla, Isha Ambani, Princess Gauravi Kumari, Maharaj Sawai Padmanabh Singh, Mona Patel, and Diya Mehta at the stunning green carpet. Despite skipping this year’s Met Gala, Alia still managed to dominate the conversation. In the viral images, she’s seen in a nature-inspired strapless gown with a plunging neckline, detailed with moss-green botanical accents and a voluminous, softly pleated flare. The look fits right in with the evening’s art-inspired theme, even though she wasn’t actually there. With open locks, a stunning emerald and diamond necklace, and a glowing face, this AI image looked too real to ignore, even if for a second - with Alia seemingly standing in front of the flashes and walking the steps of the iconic Met museum, looking refreshingly amazing. Alia wasn’t the only one showing up in AI form. Bollywood actor Vijay Varma also popped up in a striking look as his ‘Matka King’ character, posing like he was right there on the carpet. The images, shared on his Instagram, quickly caught fire online. Soon enough, fans joined in, creating edits of Rakhi Sawant in a Cardi B-inspired Met Gala look, and even Dolly Chaiwala in a dramatic floor-length brown coat with “Chai is Life” splashed across it. This has to be the internet’s most stylish illusion yet. So, did you like Alia’s AI version at the 2026 Met Gala? Do let us know in the comments below.