The actor-writer attended Monday's 2026 event for the first time in seven years as a host committee member, saying organisers saw her as healthier and more able to take part.
Dunham, who lives with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and has written about chronic pain and a hysterectomy, said the invitation felt like a vote of confidence.
Her Alessandro Michele-designed Valentino look drew on Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes, marking their first collaboration after previously meeting at the 2019 gala.
Is Lena Dunham’s Met Gala comeback a health triumph or the same ‘fame-game’ she critiques?
How did a violent Baroque painting inspire Lena Dunham’s gown about her personal health journey?