Viral Image of Zendaya at Met Gala Is Actually of Rita Ora

A photoshopped image of Zendaya has gone viral on social media, as some users thought it showed the actor and singer at the 2023 Met Gala.

In reality, the picture was of British singer-songwriter Rita Ora, who attended the Met Gala in a black gown by American-Nepalese designer Prabal Gurung, with Zendaya's face superimposed on Ora's body.

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While it is unclear where the photoshopped image originated from, a number of accounts on Twitter posted the image with captions suggesting it showed Zendaya at the gala, despite the fact that the celebrity was not present at the event and has not attended since 2019, according to multiple celebrity news outlets.

—TW. (@TomWillemm) May 1, 2023

A handful of users who saw the photo appeared to believe it was real, writing on Twitter that they loved the celebrity's outfit. The image also went viral on TikTok, where one user received 2.3 million views for comparing the photoshopped image to a picture of Ora at the gala, appearing to suggest she thought that the two celebrities were seen wearing the same outfit at the event.

"Down to the nails, same exact thing. I don't know if I'm like disappointed or like..." the user said, as she compared the two images.

A huge number of commenters under the viral post said they discovered the image was actually photoshopped to look like Zendaya, and another TikTok user received 1 million views in a video saying that the photo was an online hoax, but she initially believed it was real too.

Some Twitter users have since posted both the original and photoshopped image side by side to expose the hoax as well.

"Whoever changed this to zendaya is actually evil like so many people have been fooled when its actually Rita Ora," one user wrote, receiving 9,600 likes.

—lizzie (@lizbedumb) May 1, 2023

Fake images purported to show celebrities at the Met Gala have gone viral on social media before. Last year, a photoshopped image of Doja Cat and a photo of Lady Gaga at a movie premiere were posted on Twitter alongside false claims that they showed the celebrities' Met Gala looks for that year.

Zendaya is often at the center of much online speculation herself, as one of Gen Z's most beloved celebrities. Last year, she shut down a rumor that she was pregnant, which had been circulating on TikTok, and has since been implicated in a number of other viral theories about her personal life, including claims that her boyfriend Tom Holland has her initial sown into all of his trousers and that she snubbed Paul Mescal's attempt to hold her hand at the SAG Awards.

The Met Gala is an annual fundraising ball held to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. This year's theme was "in honor of Karl," a tribute to the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Representatives for Zendaya and Rita Ora did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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