While renowned for its lavish festivities, France’s Cannes Film Festival never ceases to encounter controversy. Though the 12-day celebration of international films attracts the finest in fashion and cinema, Black and Brown creatives have a history of being excluded at the festival, and this year was no different.
Former Destiny’s Child musician and actress Kelly Rowland, Dominican actress Massiel Taveras and South Korean K-pop star Yoona faced what many believe to be microaggressions from a security guard on the red carpet. Nicknamed “Cannes Karen,” the security guard was seen urging the three women up the red carpet with no time to pose or wave to fans.
The “Cannes Karen’s” first strike occurred May 21 when Rowland attended the red carpet for a screening of Marcello Mio. After being rushed up the red carpet stairs by security, Rowland tried squeezing in some time to wave to fans, but was interrupted by the usher, who blocked Rowland with her arm.
Rowland appeared to be reprimanding the usher after being “told to get off” the red carpet. Professional lip readers claim she also said, “Don’t talk to me like that. You’re not my mother. I told you not to talk to me like that.”
It’s unclear what the usher said to spark Rowland’s comments, but needless to say the actress felt disrespected.
Rowland expressed that she believes her confrontation with the usher stemmed from racial bias.
“That woman knows what happened. I know what happened…There were other women who attended that carpet, who did not look quite like me, and they didn’t get scolded or pushed off or told to get off. And I stood my ground, and she felt like she had to stand hers. But I stood my ground.”
Kelly Rowland to AP Entertainment
Days later, Taveras experienced a similar situation with the usher while walking the red carpet for the premiere of The Count of Monte Cristo. When Taveras struggled to lay out the cape of her outfit, which boasted a large portrait of Jesus Christ, the usher also barricaded Taveras from waving to people.
Taveras pushed the usher back and appeared to be asking for some space as she was smothered by other ushers.
Taveras echoed Rowland’s sentiment, praising her on Instagram.
“Today more than ever we need to stay together, support each other, protect our souls, have strong boundaries and stand for our rights. We are not going to be in silence on situations like that. We need respect.”
– Massiel Taveras
Following the incidents with Rowland and Taveras, the “Cannes Karen” struck again for the third time with Girls’ Generation K-pop singer Yoona, who was also blocked from waving to fans. Though the singer didn’t confront the usher, she appeared flustered and upset. At one point, the usher was seen dragging Ukrainian model Sawa Pontyjska off the red carpet as the model struggled to step back on the carpet, falling to her knees.
Though the Cannes Film Festival has a notoriously strict red-carpet policy, TikTok users pointed out many white celebrities like Heidi Klum and Bella Hadid took time fixing their dresses and posing for cameras on the red carpet without interruption.
Many claimed the usher was racist and should be terminated from her job too.
“She needs to go!” one Twitter user said. “Whoever that security lady is that was rude and disrespectful, needs to be held accountable.”
“Let the Cannes Karen be a reminder to always listen to Black Women when we call shit out,” another tweeted.
This year’s overshadowing of three women of color reflects the Cannes Festival’s long history of dismissal towards people of color. Deadline reporter Valerie Complex wrote about the micro-aggressions she experienced attending the festival in 2022. She detailed being asked multiple times if she was selling tickets and being mistaken for various Black actresses.
The festival also has a history of excluding Black and Brown people, especially women, from winning or being nominated for the festival’s most prestigious awards, the Palme d’Or and Grand Prix. Both celebrate excellent feature films. In its 85 years, the Cannes Film Festival has never awarded a Palme d’Or or Grand Prix to any Black, Hispanic or Asian female filmmaker, with only one Black and Hispanic woman even making the nominations list.
Some believe that the lack of diversity reflects the city of Cannes as a whole, infamous for discrimination against people of color.
Though the “Cannes Karen” will certainly go down in history, she represents a broader lack of cultural awareness and respect at the Cannes Festival. Rowland, Taveras and Yoona’s red carpet fiascos call for more diversity, equity and inclusion in major film award ceremonies. There is always room to amplify talented women of color with equity and honor at Cannes. Proper cultural training for staff and a more diverse board of directors could support creatives and women of color so that women like Rowland, Taveras and Yoona can relish their well-deserved shining moment on the red carpet.
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