A female security guard who clashed with a celebrity on the red carpet at this year's Cannes Film Festival is facing criticism for the third time after she apparently prevented South Korean actress Yoona from taking a photo.
The unidentified security guard has come under fire online after being involved in two heated altercations with Dominican actor Maciel Taveras and former Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland.
In the latest footage, Yoona, who was in K-pop group Girls' Generation before becoming an actress, can be seen approaching a security guard and moving to the top of a flight of stairs, where the guard holds her at arm's length, making it difficult for the actress to stop and wave to fans.
Despite being on the move, the actress, whose real name is Lim Yuna, appears surprised and uncomfortable during the exchange.
Fans of the three women have defended them, with some saying the security guard was rude and others calling for her to be fired.
In a video posted last week, Kelly Rowland, 43, was seen berating the security guard and engaging in a heated exchange.
Following the incident, Rowland, who is black, noted that other women on the carpet who “don't look much like me” weren't given the same treatment.
“The woman knows what happened, and I know what happened,” Rowland said. AP Entertainment“I have limitations and I stick to those limitations. That's it. There were women on that carpet who looked nothing like me.
“And they weren't scolded or pushed or told to get off. I stood my ground and she felt like she had to stand her ground, but I stood my ground.”
“I stood my ground.”
Kelly Rowland said “I have boundaries” after a video of her altercation with a red carpet security guard at the Cannes Film Festival went viral this week. pic.twitter.com/Z5UZMF56SA
—AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) May 23, 2024
In the footage, Rowland can be seen smiling and posing for photos as she walks along the red carpet, with security guards following her and guiding her away from the cameras as she tries to stand up to take more photos.
The security guard then appears to have accidentally stepped on the bottom of Rowland's dress while still having his hand on her back. The singer turned around to speak sternly to the guard, who didn't seem to back down, and Rowland appeared to hold up his index finger in a reprimanding manner.
During the altercation with Maciel Taveras, the same security guard was seen placing his arms on the TV presenter's head and chest, trying to force her inside.
Taveras then turned around and appeared to retaliate by putting her hand in the guard's face and pushing her away.
Taveras: Another Penelopereposted the article containing Rowland's comments about the same red carpet security guard on her own Instagram Story, later saying she responded strongly because she was “sick of the harassment.”
She called out Rowland in an Instagram post, writing, “I'm impressed with how your sister handled it. I had no idea this was the first time this would happen to you. I'm so impressed with how calm and classy your sister was, because in my case I was tired of the abuse. Black women matter. We will not be silent in situations like this. We deserve respect.”
A fellow security guard said: Daily Mail She said she was “just doing her job”. The usher is understood to be a local French woman on a short-term contract with the festival.
A source told the Mail that security staff were “working under enormous pressure” to keep people moving on the carpet, and said allegations of racism and discrimination were “absurd”.
Independent An email was sent to the Cannes Film Festival seeking comment on the Yuna, Taveras and Roland cases.
