Cannes Film Festival 2024 security guard, who clashed with Kelly Rowland, puts fourth celebrity in a bear hug

A security guard seen confronting several celebrities at this year’s Cannes Film Festival has gone viral after footage surfaced of her appearing to hug another star in a bear hug.

The unidentified guard faced backlash online after separate, heated altercations with high-profile guests including Dominican actor Massiel Taveras, former Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland and K-pop star Pop Yoona.

The latest clip was posted by Sawa Pontyjska, Ukrainian model and Miss Europe 2023, who attended the festival last week.

Several videos, circulating on social networks and shared by Pontyjska on TikTok and Instagram, show the model struggling with the same guardian, who surrounds her with her arms. At the top of the red-carpeted stairs, the two men wrestle back and forth, with Pontyjska falling to the ground at one point. She also attempts to go back down the steps but is blocked by other staff members.

Colleagues of the goalkeeper have already said it The daily mail that she was “just doing her job,” even though many netizens called for the woman to be fired.

In a clip that resurfaced this week, Yoona – who was part of the K-Pop group Girls’ Generation before becoming an actress – is approached by the security guard and prevented from taking photos. The guard keeps his arm outstretched, making it difficult for the actor to stop or wave to fans.

Although she continues to move, the actor, whose full name is Im Yoon-ah, appears surprised and uncomfortable during the interaction.

In a video posted last week, Rowland, 43, was seen scolding the guard in a heated interaction. Rowland, who is black, noted that other women on the carpet who “didn’t really look like me” weren’t treated the same way.

“The woman knows what happened; I know what happened,” Rowland told AP Entertainment. “I have a boundary, I respect it and that’s it. And there were other women on that mat who didn’t look like me. not really.

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“And they were not reprimanded, nor pushed away, nor ordered to come down. And I held on, and she felt like she had to hold on. But I held on.

During the altercation with Massiel Taveras, the same guard was seen placing his arm on the TV presenter’s head and chest, as she tried to bring her inside. Taveras then turned around and apparently placed her hand on the guard’s face in retaliation and shoved her.

Taveras, who has starred in films including The Other Penelope, reposted posts with Rowland’s comments about the same red carpet security guard to her Instagram Story, and later said she reacted strongly because she was “tired of the abuse”.

Addressing Rowland in an Instagram post, she wrote: “I’m impressed with how you handled your sister, I didn’t do it now, what happened to you first. I was very impressed with your calm and kindness because in my case I was tired of the abuse “BLACK WOMEN MATTER – we are not going to stay silent about situations like this, we need respect. “

Colleagues of the security guard told the Daily Mail she was “just doing her job”. It is understood the usher is a local French woman on a short-term contract with the festival.

A source told the Mail the guard was “working under a lot of pressure” to keep those on the mat moving, and that claims of racism or discrimination were “ridiculous”.

The independent emailed the Cannes Film Festival to comment on the incidents with Pontyjska, Yoona, Taveras and Rowland.