What Really Happened to the Stylist Who Was “Manhandled” Outside the Carlyle Hotel the Night of the Met Ball

On Monday, May 5, the Met Ball’s long blue carpet was a feast for the eyes, coordinated carefully for staggered arrivals by Vogue staff, making for a supremely smooth beginning to fashion’s biggest night.

The calm choreography outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 82nd Street and 5th Avenue belied all the chaotic prep that went into making stars red carpet-ready: hair and makeup, last-minute tailoring, stylists rushing around Upper East Side hotels to serve various clients, shoe switches, jewelry deliveries, not to mention gaping New Yorkers anxious to spot famous faces. That controlled mayhem turned into a real storm this year, when Hollywood stylist Jessica Paster was grabbed by police officers outside of the legendarily tony Carlyle hotel just a few blocks away from the museum and dragged past the onlooking crowd in the rain.

Paster’s client Quinta Brunson was staying at the hotel — as was Paster, who’d been checked in for two weeks in the run-up to the gala. A YouTube video portrays a gray sweatsuit-clad Paster clutching a Sephora bag, attempting to pass the crush of about sixty looky-loos at approximately 3:30 p.m. A foreboding group of NYPD officers hold back the crowd while guarding the Carlyle entrance like the Gates of Hell. When cops attempt to stop Paster from entering with a jewelry delivery for Brunson, the stylist insists: “No! I’m staying at this hotel!” (as was her dog Harper). As she makes for the revolving door, two female cops grab her arms and pull her away. Shortly thereafter, the YouTube video cuts off.

According to sources who asked not to be named, a female Carlyle Hotel employee then came out, alerting cops that Paster was indeed a longtime guest. The stylist — who also works with Emily Blunt, Aubrey Plaza, Simone Biles and others — was finally ushered inside. Minutes later, Paster popped out, shooting pics of the female officers, exclaiming that she’d sue the NYPD.

“Jess had a wristband on. The cops’ behavior was just unacceptable. The hotel should have taken more care,” says one observer, who adds that the cops were also rude to stars’ various publicists and assistants. “I get it. The cops have to do their job. But others involved with the Met Ball got treated similarly by cops and the hotel.”

“Yes, the New York cops were bad,” adds another source. “I think it’s on the hotel. Why should anyone stay there after this? Jess was physically assaulted. She got injured. The Carlyle should have had an employee stationed out there before to make sure real guests with credentials got in. Last minute packages from messengers were going in and out — all of them got drenched. Now everyone involved with this is very upset. It just added chaos to any already chaotic day. The Carlyle should issue an apology. Someone should demand they do.”

An industry source who spoke to Paster says she was thrown to the ground, has bruises on both arms and a possible injury to her lungs. “She was shaking after,” says the source. “She was beat up. She hasn’t been able to sleep since. You know, she had her puppy with her — she was worried the puppy would get hurt. Useless security for the hotel just stood there watching — they did nothing! Everyone was stunned. The Carlyle and Mark hotels on Madison deal with Met Ball guests every year, why can’t they get it together? Sydney Sweeney was staying here — what if she walked out without makeup, in a baseball cap? If they’d manhandled her, can you imagine the response! Doechii was smart — she was smuggled out in a box,” says the source of the large white box on wheels that carted the rapper to her Met Ball arrival.

At this juncture, no lawsuit has been filed, the NYPD have not issued a comment and The Carlyle has yet to offer any apology.