Kelly Rowland has broken her silence following a viral heated exchange with a security guard at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday. The Destiny’s Child alum was seen speaking sternly to a guard on the Marcello Mio premiere red carpet, prompting widespread speculation online. In an interview with the Associated Press at the amfAR Cannes Gala on Thursday, May 23, Rowland, 43, explained the incident.
“The woman knows what happened. I know what happened,” Rowland stated. “I have a boundary, and I stand by those boundaries, and that is it.”
Rowland also highlighted a concerning disparity in treatment on the red carpet. “There were other women that attended that carpet who did not quite look like me, and they didn’t get scolded or pushed off or told to get off,” she added. “I stood my ground, and she felt like she had to stand hers, but I stood my ground.”
The incident unfolded on the Palais des Festivals staircase, where Rowland and the security guard exchanged words. Despite the interference of several people accompanying Rowland, the guard continued to move them along the carpet.
Rowland’s recent film, Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa, premiered on Netflix in February. Reflecting on her role in the erotic legal thriller, she described the experience as initially intimidating. “I remember being very nervous when I read the script,” she said. “A friend of mine told me, ‘If it doesn’t scare you, what’s the purpose of doing it?’ So I ran to it. Tyler was amazing, and Trevante [Rhodes] was a pleasure to work with. I was very blessed.”
Rowland’s response to the Cannes incident underscores her commitment to standing up for herself and highlighting issues of inequality, both on and off the red carpet.
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