Met Gala

Cardi B's sticking to an age-old alibi about her entourage allegedly beating the crap out of an aggressive autograph seeker -- if you didn't see it, it didn't happen ... legally speaking.

Paps got Cardi Tuesday night in NYC -- the day after alleged Migos-affiliated goons whooped on celebrity autograph seeker Giovanni Arnold at the Met Gala -- and she played coy when asked about the altercation. More specifically ... she played blind.

As we reported ... Arnold basically asked for the Migos crew to beat his ass after being rejected for a Cardi signature, and they happily obliged. He was sent to the hospital in an ambulance and appeared to suffer minor injuries.

The guy who got stomped by Cardi B's entourage was literally asking for it ... and it's all on video.

The clip starts with Cardi walking out of The Mark Hotel Monday night in NYC, and you hear the guy chirping about getting an autograph. She didn't stop. Then Offset walked out, and the autograph hound started in on him. Offset fired back, "Shut up, bro, before a n***a beat you out here."

That amped things up, and the autograph seeker shouted, "Please beat me up! Be a fool, man." Entourage members took him up on that offer -- at first you just see 2 men punching the hell out of him ... then others joined the beatdown. Offset was not one of the attackers.

The autograph seeker's motives seem pretty obvious. He also yelled, "I'll take all your money" to the security guards.

Yes, that's a lawsuit you smell cooking. And we're sure these photos of his alleged injuries are gonna make it in there, too.

Cardi B's security team allegedly attacked an overzealous fan in the early hours of Tuesday morning, viciously punching and kicking him outside NYC's Met Gala ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the fan was trying to get an autograph from Cardi shortly after 2 AM as she left a post-Gala event at the Mark Hotel. In this video TMZ obtained, you can see Cardi tells the fan no ... but he persists, saying, "I'm an autograph hound." The next thing you see is a bunch of guys stomping someone on the ground.

The autograph seeker told cops, 3 security guards shoved him to the ground, and started the beatdown. We got video of the victim being transported, around 2:30 AM, by ambulance to a hospital where he was treated for neck and back pain.

Cardi was attending the Met Gala with her fiancé Offset, and the rest of Migos. They had left the scene by the time cops and paramedics arrived. At least one of the attackers in the video had been seen with Migos earlier in the evening.

NYPD is investigating. We have a call in to Cardi's team.

Hollywood took a second crack at high fashion after the 2018 Met Gala -- only this time they ditched the Catholic wear ... and opted for stuff that might make Jesus blush.

Tons of celebs hit up NYC's Up&Down nightclub Monday night for Rihanna's Met Gala after-party, and a lot of them changed out of their crowns, wings and lengthy gowns into more traditional clubbing getups.

While their earlier outfits were fine and dandy ... nothing beats classic partying gear, if you ask us. Some of the stars who showed up included Kim K, Kendall Jenner, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Pharrell, Mary J. Blige, Cassie, Diddy, Blake Lively, Justin Theroux, Paris Jackson and lots more.

Some A-listers stuck to their earlier digs, like Donald Glover. Can't blame him, though -- the dude looked great in that purple tux.

When the sun shines, we all shine together -- especially when Rihanna's one of the first people there to greet you at daybreak after a night of celebrating an epic Met Gala.

We got RiRi leaving a couple NYC nightclubs early Tuesday morning -- the first one being Up&Down, where she hosted her own after-party, and the second (and presumably last) being 1 OAK ... walking out at the buttcrack of dawn. Must've been a helluva night.

Her outfit spoke volumes, too, about her plans afterward. Considering she looked like she was rocking some snazzy PJs ... we're guessing she was thinking ahead for bedtime.

The crowd at the Met Gala was silent as Madonna dramatically laid on the floor during her highly anticipated performance ... building up suspense before singing "Hallelujah."

... and that's when Tiffany Haddish chimed in!

The actress -- feeling the moment -- shouted at the stage (in a good way) trying to hype Madge up before the second part of her show.

Madonna had come out singing "Like a Prayer" -- but slowed things down before "Hallelujah" ... performing an artsy dance routine while surrounded by a bunch of people dressed like monks.

Don't worry, Haddish didn't break Madge's concentration -- in fact, she absolutely slayed the Leonard Cohen classic.

Katy Perry almost didn't make it to the Met Gala this year, all because her ride started acting like an old hunk of junk ... but she had a prayer somewhere there in the engine.

Katy was literally en route (parade style, it seems) to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC ahead of the Gala Monday, when all of the sudden her 1930s-style whip wouldn't start about a block away from the venue. Eyewitnesses say it was working just fine moments earlier.

In the video -- obtained by TMZ -- you see the panic set in as her driver tries a couple times to get it turned on, to no avail at first. Luckily for her ... the third (fourth? fifth?) time proved to be a charm. She got a big cheer from the crowd around her ... and someone even called her "such a babe" and "so hot" in her fallen angel outfit.

It ain't a fashion party until Tom Brady and Gisele show up ...

The New England Patriots QB is en route to the 2018 Met Gala -- where the theme is, "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination."

Basically, lots of church-themed clothing ... you've probably seen Rihanna in her pope hat and Jared Leto dressed like Jesus Christ.

As for the sports side of things, Tom's boss, Robert Kraft, is also there with his girlfriend Ricki Noel Lander.

Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton showed up in a pretty sweet all-white suit.

Kate Upton is there without her MLB star hubby Justin Verlander -- since the Houston Astros are about to play the Oakland A's.

The 2018 Met Gala has quite the theme this year, and it'll be interesting to see if the Hollywood elite stick to its holy overtones. Let us pray?

Celebs started trickling into the Metropolitan Museum of Art Monday evening in NYC for this year's Gala -- hosted by Anna Wintour with a "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination." Yeah, we didn't know what to expect either ... until Rihanna showed up rocking the traditional Papal headgear.

Other early arrivals include George and Amal Clooney, Donatella Versace, Diddy, Jennifer Lopez, and Blake Lively -- and of course many more are expected.

Traditional Vatican garb is on display throughout the museum, but it's unclear how many celebs will follow in RiRi's footsteps with the theme. One thing's for sure, though ... A LOT of them definitely got the heavenly memo, especially Katy Perry.

Kylie Jenner isn't letting a little thing like motherhood cramp her style, 'cause Saturday night she hit the Big Apple in a big way.

Kylie was leaving The Mercer Hotel decked out in Alexander Wang ... lookin' motorcycle ready.  She's in town for The Met Gala Monday night.

No sign of Stormi or baby daddy Travis Scott.  They were all in Turks and Caicos celebrating Travis' 26th birthday and Stormi's 3 months BD.

Paris Jackson furiously went after a paparazzo for calling her a nickname reserved only for those close to her late father, Michael Jackson.

The encounter went down as she was leaving a Met Gala event Thursday night in NYC ... with an entourage in tow, a throng of fans in the distance and horde of paps waiting to get a shot of her.

Check it out ... one photog tries getting her attention by calling her "doo-doo head," a nickname the King of Pop held for his kids, nieces, nephews and even Macaulay Culkin. The use of the nickname clearly conjured up some deep feelings for Paris ... as she tore into the pap.

It kinda gets worse ... after the encounter, other photogs start referring to her as "apple head," another term of endearment MJ also used for those close to him.

Either Jay-Z's feeling a little nostalgic, or he and Beyonce just wanted to have a good laugh on his birthday ... by striking a pose in an NYC elevator.

Mr. and Mrs. Carter hit up Angelika Film Center & Cafe Monday night as they celebrated Jay's 48th -- and on their way out rode an elevator to the ground floor.

America's first couple of entertainment did not disappoint, and invited photogs to "come and get it" -- the perfect photo op ... in an elevator. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

They've obviously come a long way since that now-infamous 2014 ride. All they were missing tonight was Solange.

Jay-Z has finally broken his silence over the infamous elevator video in which Solange Knowles attacked him as Beyonce looked on.

Jay was on the podcast "Rap Radar" when he addressed the 2014 incident at the Standard Hotel in NYC, but without discussing the trigger for Solange's tirade.

Jay said obtusely, "I fought my brothers and argued with my brothers my whole life. It just so happens, who we are, these things go into a different space, but it ain't nothing."

He went on ... "We had one disagreement ever. Before and after we've been cool. She's like my sister. I will protect her. That's my sister, not my sister-in-law, my sister."

Kendall Jenner slipped in between A$AP Rocky's legs at the Met Gala, and she brought a friend.

Bella Hadid got as up close and personal with Kendall and Rocky as legally possible -- in public, anyway. The trio posed at their table ... and lucky Wiz Khalifa had a front row seat for the action.

The ladies were already the talk of Monday night's event due to those see-through outfits -- these shots of them getting cozy will only add to the buzz. Deservedly so.

The Met Gala ain't just for the Kardashians ... a bunch of athletes were there too -- from Tom Brady to Cam Newton ... even a huge NASCAR driver!

The New England Patriots were well represented with Tom, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola -- and Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez killed it.

Cam Newton wasn't much of a talker -- but his outfit was loud as usual.

La La Anthony made a solo statement ... and keep a lookout for Jeff Gordon and Roger Federer.

Kendall Jenner was happy to leave half of her skirt behind for a Met Gala after-party in NYC ... and she seemed content to leave A$AP Rocky back there as well.

Kendall and A$AP hit up 1 OAK after the Met Gala Monday night, where she was looking pretty damn hot in almost half of a leather mini skirt barely held together by strings.