A female security guard has come under fire for her alleged racist behaviour at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The prestigious annual event took place from May 14 to 25.
The staffer was accused of disrespecting Korean star Yoona by blocking her photos when she attended the festival’s red carpet event on May 19.
In a clip that has gone viral, Yoona, who rose to fame as part of K-pop group Girls’ Generation, can be seen making her way up the iconic red stairs.
When she attempts to pose for photos, she is interrupted by the guard and rushed into the event venue.
As a result, Yoona did not have the opportunity to greet fans, and was partially obscured by the guard in many photos.
Though the actress looked visibly annoyed, she maintained a smile as she continued up the stairs.
This incident comes days after the same guard clashed with Dominican actress Massiel Taveras and former Destiny Child’s member Kelly Rowland on the festival stairs.
Kelly was posing for photos when the guard tried to usher her along, accidentally stepping on her dress. This led to a heated exchange between the two.
The singer later claimed that she was “racially profiled”, and that artistes who “did not look quite like [her]” were treated differently.
Although Yoona received praise for maintaining her composure, the incident caused a public outcry, with many calling for the guard to be dismissed.
While some believed that the guard’s actions were racially motivated, there were others who defended her, arguing that she was simply “doing her job” and adhering to a tight event schedule.