An unidentified staffer could have turn into the unlikely star of the 2024 Cannes Movie Pageant — however not for purpose.
Earlier this month, celebrities from throughout the globe attended the distinguished occasion, and some — largely non-white ladies — had visibly uncomfortable interactions with what seems to be similar feminine safety guard.
Andreas Rentz through Getty Pictures
Footage on social media has proven Future’s Youngster alum Kelly Rowland, South Korean pop star Yoona and Dominican actor Massiel Taveras having heated altercations with the staffer, who has appeared to invade their private area or put her fingers on them.
Stephane Cardinale/Corbis through Getty Pictures
The most recent clip making the rounds on social media was shared by Sawa Pontyjska, a Ukrainian mannequin and Miss Europe 2023. Within the footage from Could 21, the identical safety individual will be seen wrapping her arms round Pontyjska on the high of the purple carpet’s stairs and showing to tug her contained in the venue. Within the clip, Pontyjska makes an attempt to retreat again down the steps however is blocked by different competition employees members.
Though colleagues of the guard reportedly informed the Each day Mail that she was “just doing her job,” the staffer has drawn backlash on-line. Many social media customers have known as for her to be fired, with a number of arguing that she appeared to be focusing on ladies of shade.
Rowland implied that the incident appeared to be racially pushed whereas chatting with The Related Press final week.
“The woman knows what happened. I know what happened,” Rowland informed AP on the purple carpet after the incident. “And I have a boundary, and I stand by those boundaries. And that is it.”
She added: “There were other women that attended that carpet who did not quite look like me and they didn’t get scolded or pushed off or told to get off.”
Marc Piasecki through Getty Pictures
Cannes is infamous for having a strict purple carpet protocol, together with not permitting selfies. It additionally used to have a fairly inflexible excessive heels-only coverage for ladies, nevertheless it was reportedly relaxed after a minor backlash on the 2015 occasion. Regardless of these guidelines, it appears as if loads of celebrities have gotten away with breaking them. Julia Roberts and Kristen Stewart each walked the carpet barefoot, and Jennifer Lawerence paired her purple robe with flip-flops in 2023, in response to Vogue.
HuffPost has reached out to the Cannes Movie Pageant for touch upon the incidents with Pontyjska, Yoona, Taveras and Rowland however didn’t obtain a right away response.
