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Emily Ratajkowski’s bold VMAs look had one very personal detail hiding in plain sight.
The 35-year-old model shared a behind-the-scenes look at her night at Sunday’s awards show, leading her Instagram carousel with a photo of herself posing in a red-and-black dress featuring dramatic open sides.
But Ratajkowski’s revealing look wasn’t the only detail that caught attention.
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Emily Ratajkowski shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her night at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. (Emily Ratajkowski/Instagram)
In another close-up, the model stuck out her tongue while showing off her manicure and holding up her credentials from the event. One nail appeared to feature the initials “RG,” matching those of her boyfriend, French filmmaker Romain Gavras.
Her VMA guest pass made the connection even clearer, listing Ratajkowski as “Romain Plus One.”
Emily Ratajkowski appeared to pay tribute to boyfriend Romain Gavras with her VMAs manicure, while her event credentials identified her as “Romain Plus One.” (Emily Ratajkowski/Instagram)
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“went to the VMAs as a @romaingavras @surkin @yunglean2001 groupie and had the best time,” Ratajkowski captioned the Instagram carousel.
Another photo showed Ratajkowski posing between production trailers in the same red-and-black dress, this time wearing dark sunglasses and carrying a small black bag.
TAYLOR SWIFT AND PARIS HILTON SIZZLE AT 2026 VMAS: VOTE ON YOUR FAVORITE STAR LOOKS
The model’s followers quickly reacted to the look.
“I love the very subtle cutout on that dress,” one person joked.
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“MY QUEEN SERVED AGAIN,” another wrote.
Others focused on her connection to the artists and director she tagged, with one follower asking, “Yung Lean’s guest?? Y’all go together or something??”
EMILY RATAJKOWSKI AND BOYFRIEND ROMAIN GAVRAS SHARE PASSIONATE KISS ON VACATION IN ROME
Ratajkowski’s presence at the VMAs came as Gavras was recognized for his work behind the camera.
Gavras directed GENER8ION’s “STORM starring Yung Lean,” which was nominated for Video of the Year at Sunday’s ceremony. Gavras himself also received a nomination for Best Direction for the video, according to MTV.
The video also earned a Best Choreography nomination for Damien Jalet.
Ratajkowski and Gavras were also photographed together inside the Peacock Theater during the awards show, where the model was on hand as her boyfriend celebrated his nominations.
Emily Ratajkowski sat alongside boyfriend Romain Gavras during the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. (Todd Williamson/CBS via Getty Images)
Ratajkowski’s manicure appeared to offer another personal connection to Gavras’ work. Along with the “RG” initials, another nail featured a small black design — a nod to his movie poster for “Sacrifice.”
The couple’s VMAs outing comes weeks after Ratajkowski and Gavras were photographed together in Rome.
The two were spotted shopping and sharing kisses in the Italian capital earlier this month.
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Their romance first sparked attention in November 2025, when Ratajkowski and Gavras were photographed together in New York City.
Ratajkowski later made their relationship Instagram official in February, sharing a photo of herself embracing Gavras in a carousel.
While Ratajkowski has not said much publicly about her relationship with Gavras, she has previously spoken about how her approach to dating changed following her divorce from Sebastian Bear-McClard.
“I really wanted to be chosen,” Ratajkowski previously told Harper’s Bazaar in 2022 of her past approach to relationships.
Emily Ratajkowski and boyfriend Romain Gavras were spotted out together in Paris in March 2026. (MEGA/GC Images/Getty Images)
She explained that after becoming single, dating became less about how someone perceived her and more about determining what she did and didn’t like about the person sitting across from her.
Gavras has built a career directing both films and music videos.
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The French filmmaker has directed videos including M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls,” Jamie xx’s “Gosh” and Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild.” The latter earned him a Grammy nomination.
His film work includes the 2022 drama “Athena” and “Sacrifice,” while filmmaking also runs in his family. Gavras is the son of Greek-French filmmaker Costa-Gavras.
Before becoming involved with Ratajkowski, Gavras previously dated singer Dua Lipa in 2023.
