Kelly Rowland Breaks Silence on Cannes Red Carpet Clash

Gabrielle Chung

May 23, 2024 at 7:12 PM·3 min read

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Originally appeared on E! Online

Kelly Rowland will keep on survivin'.

The Destiny's Child alum addressed a recent incident involving herself and a Cannes Film Festival staffer at the premiere of Marcello Mio. As seen in photos and videos taken from the red carpet at the May 21 event, Kelly—clad a custom crimson gown by Anamika Khanna and a Messika necklace—appeared to have a heated exchange with a woman in a black suit and a security earpiece as she arrived at the top of the iconic Palais des Festivals staircase.

Moments before, the 43-year-old had stopped in the middle of the steps to pose for photographers, but the woman and a team of ushers surrounded her and stretched their arms out, seemingly herding her toward the building's entrance.

"The woman knows what happened. I know what happened," Kelly said of the encounter in a May 23 interview with Associated Press. "And I have a boundary, and I stand by those boundaries. And that is it."

The "Survivor" singer also alleged discrimination, saying that "there were other women that attended that carpet who did not quite look like me and they didn't get scolded or pushed off."

Kelly Rowland Through the Years

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"I stood my ground," she added, "and she felt like she had to stand hers."

However, the incident didn't deter Kelly from enjoying her time at Cannes. After all, she returned to the same red carpet a day later for the premiere of The Count of Monte-Cristo.

The French film festival hasn't clarified why Kelly was ushered off the red carpet. E! News has reached out to organizers for comment but hasn't heard back.

Kelly Rowland — Lionel Hahn/Getty Images; Mike Marsland/WireImage

Cannes is known to have strict protocols in place, including a dress code for guests.

"To attend the Gala screenings, a dinner jacket (tuxedo) with a bow tie or evening dress is required," a notice on its website reads. "In the absence of this, you may wear a cocktail dress, a dark trouser suit, a dressy top with black trousers, a black dress, a black or midnight blue suit with a bow tie. Elegant shoes, with or without heels, are required. Trainers are forbidden. We ask our attendees to avoid bringing backpacks, tote-bags or large bags. For other screenings, proper attire is sufficient."

Guests are also forbidden to take selfies on the steps of the convention center, as well as banned from using cell phones inside the screening theaters.

For more star sightings at Cannes, keep reading.

Alessandra Ambrosio