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“Racist Pure And Simple”: Kelly Rowland Explains What Happened In The Viral Cannes Incident
After Kelly Rowland’s viral confrontation with an usher on the 47th annual Cannes Film Festival red carpet on Tuesday (May 21), fans have taken to social media to show support for the singer.
The Destiny’s Child alum was filmed clashing with the worker when she was “scolded” as she tried to interact with her fans at the premiere of Marcello Mio on the Palais des Festivals staircase.
Highlights
- Fans rally behind Kelly Rowland following a confrontation with an usher at the 47th Cannes Film Festival.
- The singer clashed with an usher who tried to "scold" her on the red carpet, sparking accusations of racial treatment.
- Several fans cited the incident as an example of a "racist Karen" behavior.
In the video of the heated exchange, the usher appears to indicate to Kelley that she had to get off the red carpet and walk inside the theater, touching her shoulders and blocking her view when she tried to wave at somebody in the crowd. The five-time Grammy winner reacted by raising her finger and speaking sternly to the woman.
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Fans are speaking out in support of Kelly Rowland after the singer’s viral confrontation with an usher on the red carpet at the 47th Cannes Film Festival
Image credits: Samir Hussein/WireImage
While Kelly’s behavior was criticized on social media and labeled “diva-like,” many others defended the 43-year-old star, arguing that she was unfairly treated and that the usher’s attitude was racially motivated.
“This was RACIST, pure & simple! This French Karen, who is a NOBODY, kept rushing @KELLYROWLAND up the stairs. NO WHITE WOMEN were being rushed & worse, repeatedly TOUCHED!” a fan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Then the media tried to put it on Kelly. As a Black woman, so sick of this sh*t.”
The singer was filmed clashing with the woman when she was “scolded” as she tried to interact with her fans at the premiere of Marcello Mio
Image credits: David Fisher/Shutterstock
What’s the tea? Kelly Rowland’s Rowland Stones, where yall at? pic.twitter.com/iv6aqAso5E
— I Choose Violence (@ourhermitage) May 21, 2024
“Not even THE Kelly Rowland is safe from these Karens—all jealous and bitter and racist as hell. You can’t tell me otherwise,” said another.
The term “Karen” is used to define a specific type of white middle-class woman who is perceived as obnoxious or entitled (particularly in interactions with service industry workers) and often carries out racist micro-aggressions.
A third person wrote: “People be racist and wrong, and they should be called out. Like, why are all these people trying to escort her up the stairs before she got all her pictures?”
Kelly lifted her finger at the worker after she tried to touch her and tell her to go inside the theater
Image credits: melle_cess
Watch the video below:
@melle_cess #kellyrowland #film #redcarpet #cannes #fif2024 #celebrity #fy #festival #securityguard #security #festivaldecannes #destinyschild #embrouille #security #securité ♬ Motivation – Kelly Rowland
“Racist lady tried to play in Kelly’s face, apparently, and Kelly wasn’t having it. Not THEE Kelly Rowland. ⅓ of Destiny’s Child… Have some respect,” another fan commented.
In an interview with the Associated Press, the Atlanta-born songstress spoke out on the incident, confirming the worker had told her to “get off” and suggesting that she perceived it as a racist micro-aggression.
“There were other women who attended that carpet who did not quite look like me, and they didn’t get scolded, pushed off, or told to get off,” Kelly said after the incident
Image credits: ET
“The woman knows what happened. I know what happened. I have a boundary, and I stand by those boundaries, and that is it,” Kelly said.
“And there were other women who attended that carpet who did not quite look like me, and they didn’t get scolded, pushed off, or told to get off.
“I stood my ground, and she felt like she had to stand hers. But I stood my ground.”
Fans accused the worker of being a “racist Karen”
“I stood my ground.”
Kelly Rowland says “I have a boundary” after video of her argument with a red carpet security guard at the Cannes Film Festival went viral this week. pic.twitter.com/Z5UZMF56SA
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) May 23, 2024
Tina Knowles, Beyoncé‘s mother who has known Kelly since the early days of Destiny’s Child, also defended the singer against the haters following the incident.
“And just like that, she @kellyrowland graces another carpet with her amazing, glorious beauty, class, and grace!!!! Sipping Champagne and living her best life,” the 70-year-old mom captioned an Instagram video of Kelly posing at Cannes with Joe Jonas and Evan Ross.
She added: “This just goes to show that one silly monkey, don’t stop no-show!!! On to bigger and better things.”
“This was racist pure and simple,” a fan commented
What do you think ?
DadManBlues 7 months ago
I don't know why prejudices come up immediately. If you look at the video, the guard also brought a Caucasian woman into the room together with Rowland. I think the guard just had no idea who this woman was, or was assigned to push everyone in the room. I admit I didn't know who Kelly Rowland was either. Was she a member of Destiny's Child? OK, I got it.
Bernd Herbert 7 months ago
It's very disturbing how people seem to know exactly what happened based on a short video snippet.
Load More Replies...
Virgil Blue 7 months ago (edited)
Can't really tell from the video, and I dont have enough details, but to play devils advocate for a minute and imagine a different possible scenario: judging by the other guests climbing the stairs, and the other ushers, there might have been some agreements in place for getting guests in orderly and timely and Kelly decided to dawdle a bit to wave at fans triggering the usher to request her to move along. That seems to have escalated a bit. The artist deciding to "stand their ground" might have escalated things further. Can't really tell either way, but why assume a person doing their job in a very public venue with cameras everywhere would decide to go racist when artist entitlement could just as well been in play. Die hard fans would of course jump on the racist and our queen can do no wrong side, but artists are just people and could mess up. Edit for name correction.
Kathleen Wlliams 7 months ago
She admitted prior to this that she was very nervous being there. The stress of that could have been a factor. I saw nor heard nothing offensive. And yet she didn't fully explain what had or didn't happen. There needs to be clarity. Kelly Rowland Hints Racism Caused Her Cannes Outburst.
Load More Replies...
frinny 7 months ago
why is it racist? Security doing their job. She'd have moaned if some lunatic had got near her
nancy 7 months ago
I wasn't there, so don't know how others were treated, but my first thought was that Kelly was stopping the flow. Stopping to pose for way too long, not allowing anyone else to be photographed on the small section of stairs that were cleared for individual photos. I would imagine that everyone is directed off to the right after a few seconds to keep the flow going.
Load More Replies... DadManBlues 7 months ago
I don't know why prejudices come up immediately. If you look at the video, the guard also brought a Caucasian woman into the room together with Rowland. I think the guard just had no idea who this woman was, or was assigned to push everyone in the room. I admit I didn't know who Kelly Rowland was either. Was she a member of Destiny's Child? OK, I got it.
Bernd Herbert 7 months ago
It's very disturbing how people seem to know exactly what happened based on a short video snippet.
Load More Replies... Virgil Blue 7 months ago (edited)
Can't really tell from the video, and I dont have enough details, but to play devils advocate for a minute and imagine a different possible scenario: judging by the other guests climbing the stairs, and the other ushers, there might have been some agreements in place for getting guests in orderly and timely and Kelly decided to dawdle a bit to wave at fans triggering the usher to request her to move along. That seems to have escalated a bit. The artist deciding to "stand their ground" might have escalated things further. Can't really tell either way, but why assume a person doing their job in a very public venue with cameras everywhere would decide to go racist when artist entitlement could just as well been in play. Die hard fans would of course jump on the racist and our queen can do no wrong side, but artists are just people and could mess up. Edit for name correction.
Kathleen Wlliams 7 months ago
She admitted prior to this that she was very nervous being there. The stress of that could have been a factor. I saw nor heard nothing offensive. And yet she didn't fully explain what had or didn't happen. There needs to be clarity. Kelly Rowland Hints Racism Caused Her Cannes Outburst.
Load More Replies... frinny 7 months ago
why is it racist? Security doing their job. She'd have moaned if some lunatic had got near her
nancy 7 months ago
I wasn't there, so don't know how others were treated, but my first thought was that Kelly was stopping the flow. Stopping to pose for way too long, not allowing anyone else to be photographed on the small section of stairs that were cleared for individual photos. I would imagine that everyone is directed off to the right after a few seconds to keep the flow going.
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