Selena Gomez was notably absent from the 2024 MET Gala in New York City on Monday – with her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, also not making an appearance during the big night.

However, a source recently confirmed to People on Tuesday that the Single soon songstress, 31, was simply ‘busy working.’

While she has been spending time in the Big Apple, Gomez – who has ‘talked about marriage and children’ with Blanco – is in the midst of filming the fourth season of Hulu’s Only Murders In The Building.

She has also been putting focus into her own brand, Rare Beauty, and notably attended Rare Beauty’s 3rd Annual Mental Health Summit earlier this month on May 1st.

The record producer, 36, has also been filtering through a busy schedule as well, and recently joined Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

The Eastside hitmaker also celebrated the launch of his own cookbook titled, Open Wide: A Cookbook For Friends – which officially became available on April 30, just six days before the MET Gala.

Selena last attended the annual festivities that take place on the first Monday in May in 2018.

At the time, the theme for guests to follow had been Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.

The former Disney channel star had donned an off-white gown that contained a sheer, flowy skirt as well as a bedazzled bodice.

However, while talking to Glamour UK in 2022, she labeled the look and her tan as a ‘memorable’ beauty mishap.

‘While I was getting ready for the Met Gala a few years ago, we put on a bit of tanning lotion and it looked beautiful, but as the night went on it kept getting darker and darker,’ she recalled to the outlet.

‘When I sat down [inside the event], I saw a photo of myself, and it looked completely orange. And here I am at this prestigious event. My first thought was, “I have to get out of here!”‘

She also explained to Vogue, ‘I look at a photo of myself when I sit down, and I’m completely orange. I was like, “This is going to be terrible because I’m going to get eaten alive about this.”‘

Aside from attending the MET Gala in 2018, she has made appearance on four other occasions, including in 2014, 2015, 2016 and in 2017 with her ex, The Weeknd.

Gomez was not the only A-list celebrity to opt out of the MET Gala on Monday, with other stars such as Khloe Kardashian, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Rihanna and Taylor Swift not seen on the red carpet.

The Gossip Girl alum and her husband chose to stay at home with their family instead, with a source telling Elle that, ‘the couple chose to spend their night at home, rather than on the red carpet.’

Swift also devastated fans when she didn’t make an appearance for the eighth year in a row.

Last month in April, it was reported that the Bad Blood hitmaker and boyfriend Travis Kelce would not be attending the MET Gala.

And the real reason why Taylor and Kelce would not be attending was revealed to be Swift’s conflicting dates for the Eras Tour which kicks off in France on May 9.

But speculation arose shortly before the event when Anna Wintour sat down for an interview with Today host, Jenna Bush Hager, to talk about the festivities.

Jenna revealed Anna’s rather cryptic response on whether Taylor Swift will be in attendance.

‘I also had to ask, because Mila Hager asked if Taylor was gonna be there, and she (Anna) said, “I hope she comes and enjoys the exhibit,”‘ she stated, referencing to her daughter.

Rihanna also had to skip the event due to being ‘sick with the flu,’ a source revealed to People.

While being busy with Only Murders In The Building and her Rare Beauty brand – which recently $7 million for charity – she is also preparing for the release of her new spinoff series, Selena + Restaurant.

The star let out a bit of ‘anger’ while pounding out blackberry caviar in a preview clip from the upcoming show that was shared with People on Tuesday.

In the video, the actress and her friend, Raquelle Stevens, trained with Hollywood restaurant Lemon Grove’s head chef, Marcel Vigneron, and learned how to make a dessert inspired by ‘the full moon.’

The Disney Channel alum was tasked with breaking up blackberries that had been frozen with liquid nitrogen, and said she would be ‘getting out some anger’ while breaking up the fruit.

Gomez was then presented with a meat pounder, and after asking if she could ‘smash’ the blackberries, Vigneron instructed her on how to get ‘individual cells’ out of each piece of fruit.

Although the singer appeared to get slightly carried away while smashing the blackberries, Vigneron stated that she was ‘looking pretty good’ as she helped prepare the dish.

Her boyfriend, Benny Blanco, also has a passion for food and published his cookbook, Open Wide: A Cookbook For Friends.

A source recently told Us Weekly that the pair – who were confirmed to be dating in December 2023 – have ‘talked about marriage and having children.’

A source recently told Us Weekly that the pair – who were confirmed to be dating in December 2023 – have ‘talked about marriage and having children’; seen in January in L.A.

The insider added that the beauty is ‘ready to settle down’ and added Selena believes she ‘has found the love of her life’ in Blanco.

‘He makes her feel secure and happy. They both think they’ve found the person they’ll be with forever.’

‘She definitely sees this relationship going the distance,’ the source stated, adding that her ‘friends and family’ are very supportive of the relationship.

‘They’ve talked about marriage and having children and are very much on the same page.’