“Nicki Minaj said she wouldn’t be attending the celebrity-studded Met Gala on Monday because attendees were required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and she is not. Minaj told her Twitter followers she hadn’t ‘done enough research’ to make a decision … But Minaj didn’t stop there, following up with an eyebrow-raising story about her cousin’s friend who received the COVID-19 vaccine and then called off his wedding because ‘His testicles became swollen.'” (Wouldn’t that be a reason to move your wedding date up?)

+ Lord of the Rings actors praise Italian man who lives as a hobbit. “Some think I am trying to escape from reality. Far from it. I am living my dream, my adventure. By purchasing that piece of land, I have removed it from a reality that I don’t like and am shaping it the way I want.” (He basically just described trying to escape reality. In fairness, they don’t do media training in the Shire.)

+ The Met Gala made its comeback last night. Here are some of the best, brightest, and oddest outfits from NPR and Digg.