Kelly Rowland Confronts Cannes Staffer on 2024 Red Carpet as Festival’s High-Heel Rule Drew Backlash in 2015
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 14
Kelly Rowland Confronts Cannes Staffer on 2024 Red Carpet as Festival’s High-Heel Rule Drew Backlash in 2015
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 14
Kelly Rowland clashed with a Cannes staffer in 2024 after being hurried off the red carpet, with lip-readers saying she snapped: “Don’t talk to me like that, you’re not my mother!”
The confrontation reflected a broader Cannes pattern of tightly policing red-carpet behavior, where stars are often moved along faster than at other major film festivals.
That reputation has fueled earlier controversies, including a 2015 incident in which women were barred from a gala screening for not wearing high heels.
The 2015 backlash intensified when producer Valeria Richter was reportedly turned away despite part of her left foot being amputated, and Julia Roberts later protested by walking barefoot in 2016.
With its strict new dress code, is the rebellious Cannes festival trading provocation for corporate polish?
Will the 79th festival be defined by its films, or by off-screen clashes over politics, protests, and AI?
As Cannes debates AI, can it champion human artistry while being sponsored by big tech like Meta?