Italian model fired from Met Gala for stealing Kylie Jenner's show last year

An Italian model and receptionist who worked at last year's Met Gala said he was fired three days before this year's event for upstaging Kylie Jenner at last year's celebration.

Eugenio Casnighi said he was being punished by his agency, whose name he requested to remain anonymous, for appearing in the background of photos of the reality star posing on the red carpet that went viral.

The 26-year-old said he has worked at the gala, fashion's most eagerly awaited red carpet, for the past two years and his job was to “be with Kylie Jenner all night” and help her with “anything she needed.”

Although his attendance had been confirmed over a month ago, he claimed he was given less than three days' notice before being informed that he was no longer welcome.

“I just got fired from the Met Gala,” Casnighi began in a video to his TikTok followers.

The Italian model had previously been unable to respond to the attention as he was subject to a non-disclosure agreement, but said: “Funny thing is, they fired me, so now I can say whatever I want.”

He spoke about the reasons for his last-minute exclusion from the event, saying he had to pay for distracting attention from celebrities through his appearance.

“They blamed me,” he said. “They said, 'You made it your business, so we don't want to work with you anymore.'”

He added: “They informed me today that they fired me. They fired me because I went viral last year.”

Casnighi was upset about this matter because the company he signed with had assured him that the purpose of his employment was to increase his exposure as a model.

“It's funny because the Met Gala and the company I won't name here want models to walk the red carpet,” he said.

“They want people to stand out. They literally told me, 'We chose you because we like you more than other people.'

“But when people took photos of real celebrities like Kylie Jenner and I was standing next to her, of course I ended up in the photo.”

The Independent has asked the Metropolitan Museum for comment.

This year's gala is sponsored by Condé Nast, Loewe and TikTok and promises to be a parade of organic opulence, with archival couture and bespoke designs that embody eternal beauty through natural elements.

The evening’s co-chairs include Zendaya, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez and Bad Bunny, while FashionLa La Anthony, Gwendoline Christie and Ashley Graham as well as special correspondent Emma Chamberlain will be presenting on the red carpet.

This year's theme honors fashion's “sleeping beauties” – not the Disney fairytale. The exhibition will feature 250 pieces from the Costume Institute's permanent collection, some of which date back to the Elizabethan era.