Kelly Rowland was seen reprimanding an usher on the Cannes red carpet on Tuesday night after being hurried up the stairs by festival staff.
Rowland attended the premiere of "Marcello Mio," a film in competition at the festival. As she made her way up the red carpet, she paused for the photographers snapping her picture.
A video captured an usher gesturing towards Rowland twice, seemingly signaling for her to begin ascending the stairs at the Palais des Festivals.
As the former Destiny’s Child star makes her way up the stairs, a trio of other ushers, all dressed in black, converge around her, forming a barrier on one side that directs her to the right of the staircase.
At one juncture, as Rowland turns to acknowledge someone in the crowd behind her, two additional ushers emerge behind the singer, extending their hands to obstruct her view and guide her up the stairs.
One of the ushers, a woman clad in a black suit, continues to extend her arm very close to Rowland’s back. In response, the singer lightly touches the usher’s outstretched arm with a smile, seemingly indicating that it's unnecessary, before purposefully proceeding up the stairs.
However, the usher persists in holding her arm aloft with her fingers spread out close to Rowland’s back. Rowland then turns to the usher once more, appearing to express her disapproval. As Rowland exits the stairs and enters the Palais, the usher repeats the action with a woman who appears to be accompanying Rowland.
The Cannes Film Festival is renowned for its rigorous red carpet regulations, including its dress code. In the past, there were reports that women were barred from the Cannes red carpet unless they wore heels, although this policy was revised following criticism during the 2015 edition.
Additionally, Cannes implemented a ban on selfies on the red carpet in 2018. Officials stated that the ban aimed to expedite the entry process into the Palais.
Moreover, guests are instructed to keep moving if they linger for too long. In 2013, socialite Lady Victoria Hervey, a regular attendee of Cannes, purportedly received instructions to move on after spending an extended period posing for photographers on the red carpet outside the Palais.