'STOP IT!': Denzel Washington snapped yelling at photographer on Cannes red carpet
20 May 2025, 11:02 | Updated: 20 May 2025, 11:05
Hollywood star Denzel Washington has been snapped in an altercation with photographers at the 78th Cannes International Film Festival in France.
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Washington stepped onto the red carpet on the Côte d'Azur last night alongside A$AP Rocky, his co-star in his new movie, Highest 2 Lowest.
In photos captured at the film’s Cannes premiere last night, the Equalizer and Training Day star can be seen gesturing and shouting towards the pack of photographers, clearly rattled.
One of the photographers jovially slaps the 70 year old actor on the arm in an effort to get his shot.
The images show Washington turning to the individual, pointing, and shouting.
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Clips online show the actor sharing several tense words with the snapper, and the phrase ‘stop it’ can be made out repeatedly.
The unidentified photographer appears to laugh off the warning, going in again to grab Washington by the elbow.
Fans on X shared their shock at the scene, with one user writing ‘I don't know what the dude said/did but I'm automatically team Denzel on this.’
Another wrote ‘Look how cool and classy he handled some really persistent out-of-line behavior.’
Despite the incident, Washington went on to have a winning night, being awarded with a surprise honorary Palme d'Or award by Highest 2 Lowest director Spike Lee.
Handing over the award, Spike said 'This is my brother, right here.'
The actor, who took a one-day break from his Broadway run of Othello to be at the festival, expressed his shock and appreciation for the honour.
'This is a total surprise for me!' the actor replied.
Other actors who have been given lifetime achievement awards by the festival over the years include Robert De Niro, George Lucas, and Nicole Kidman.
Highest 2 Lowest, which is a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic noir, High and Low, was a last minute addition to the Cannes Schedule, having been missed off the lineup when it was first announced last month.
It has been met with broadly positive reviews, with many outlets commending it’s use of thrilling action set pieces.
The film will be released theatrically by A24 on August 22, 2025, before it is available to stream on Apple TV+ September 5, 2025.
Other highly anticipated films premiering at this year’s festival, considered one of the most important film festivals globally, include Wes Anderson’s latest outing, The Phoneician Scheme, Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence’s psychological drama, Die, My Love, and Eddington, billed as a ‘COVID Western’, and starring Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone.
