Security Issues That Stole the Limelight This Year on the Red Carpet
The all-glitz and glamor of the Cannes Film Festival this year was marred by bizarre encounters between celebrities and security guards on the red carpet. Videos capturing tense moments quickly went viral, leaving netizens puzzled. What was meant to be a celebration of cinema, instead left stars having to deal with overly aggressive security. While Cannes may have strict protocols, that’s no excuse for the lack of professionalism and respect. The incidents drew harsh criticism from both attendees and viewers worldwide.
1. Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland had a tense confrontation with security at the Cannes Film Festival. Videos showed guards ushering her up the stairs, with one placing her hand behind Rowland’s back, practically shoving her. “The woman knows what happened, I know what happened,” Rowland said. “I have a boundary and I stand by those boundaries, and that is it.” She felt other women who didn’t “look like her” didn’t get “scolded or pushed off.” The viral incident occurred at the Marcello Mio premiere on May 21, with Rowland scolding a staff member while being guided on the red carpet. What was said, remains unclear.
2. Yoona
The K-pop idol Yoona, 33, is a member of the hugely popular girl group Girls’ Generation and attended the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of the movie Horizon: An American Saga . Yoona also got rude treatment similar to Rowland’s from the same female guard. A video shows the guard blocking Yoona with her arm as she waved to fans on the red carpet. Yoona looked annoyed but kept her cool. Still, one fan tweeted , “You could tell Yoona’s pissed but she handled it with grace and class.”
3. Sawa Pontyjska
Ukrainian model Sawa Pontyjska was not happy with how things went down during a movie premiere at Cannes. Pontyjska says she filed a complaint against the festival organizers after a security guard got way too handsy on the red carpet. In a viral video from May 21st, the guard was seen bear-hugging Pontyjska and trying to drag her inside. The model stated, “I was trying to escape from this lock. I went down, and I started to run away on the stairs because it was the way back [out].”
4. Massiel Taveras
The former Miss Dominican Republic , Massiel Taveras, stole the show at Cannes with her Jesus Christ portrait dress and a massive 15-foot train. As she posed for pictures, trying to lay out the huge train, things got crazy. A security guard got all up in her space, putting her arm around the actress. Taveras wasn’t having it and shoved the guard. Subsequently, she addressed the same on her social media , thanking fans for their support . She added, “We need strong boundaries and stand for our rights,” The US Weekly reported.
5. Pontyjska Sues Cannes Organizers
Following her assault on the red carpet by festival security, Pontyjska filed a lawsuit against the organizers. She said, “She [security guard] was trying to push me in[side], so nobody can see what she’s doing with me. Then she kicked me out through the back door.” According to Marca , Pontyjska seeks 100,000 euros in damages for the “physical assault and psychological damage” and that she was “brutally restrained.” In an uploaded video, Pontyjska announced to her fans that she sought a “serious lawyer.”
