Kelly Rowland breaks silence on Cannes bust-up to accuse security guard of racism: ‘There were other women who don’t look like me who didn’t get scolded’
Kelly Rowland has broken her silence on the Cannes incident in which she appeared to berate a security guard while walking the red carpet on Tuesday.
The 43-year-old singer claimed there were other women who didn’t look like her and were treated differently, insisting she was simply sticking to her guns.
‘The woman knows what happened. I know what happened,” she said. ‘And I have a limit. And I stick to those boundaries and that’s it.’
“There were other women who attended that carpet who didn’t look exactly like me, and they weren’t yelled at, pushed away, or told to get off.”
Kelly was attending the premiere of French film Marcello Mio in a red, flowing dress when she appeared to have a verbal dispute with a security guard.
Kelly Rowland has broken her silence on the Cannes incident in which she appeared to berate a security guard while walking the red carpet on Tuesday
The female guard held up her arm to usher her into the room and Kelly seemed furious.
Kelly raised her hand to warn the woman of the crowd present.
The security guard seemed to respond frantically to Kelly, who even turned to continue her tirade as she walked up the rest of the stairs.
A lip-reading expert revealed what Kelly actually said during the heated interaction with the French woman.
Jacqui Press told MailOnline that after the guard appeared to step on her dress, she apologized and Kelly said: ‘It’s OK.’
However, the guard then said something else, which caused Kelly’s mood swing, as she replied, “Don’t talk to me like that.”
As the guard continued to lead her up the stairs, Kelly turned and repeated the phrase several times.
The singer attended the premiere of French film Marcello Mio and looked stunning in a red flowing dress
Kelly, 43, claimed there were other women who didn’t look like her who were treated differently and insisted she was simply sticking to her guns
Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio was also on the red carpet for Marcello Mio
A male security guard then came down to ask what was said, while the lady used her hands to move Kelly along.
Kelly finally turned around on the top step and added, “You still don’t talk to me like that!”
It was claimed the row came about because staff members were ‘being aggressive’ and Kelly had ‘had it’ with them.
“The people who are supposed to help stars on the red carpet were aggressive and Kelly tried to ignore it,” an insider told DailyMail.com.
“By the time she got to the last woman, she was done for berating Kelly and telling her to move as she tried to wave to the fans and help the paparazzi get their shot,” they added.
The source also revealed, “She doesn’t care if she comes across as a diva as long as she knows she’s standing up for herself. She is not fake and wanted to set a clear boundary.’
It comes just weeks after Kelly left an appearance on the Today show in February, although the reason for this is disputed.
A security member appeared to raise her arm to direct Kelly into the venue, leading to an altercation on the red carpet
Kelly appeared furious during the conversation with a member of security at the festival
It was claimed that Kelly skipped the rest of the Today show alongside host Hoda Kotb because she was unhappy with her dressing room, forcing Rita Ora to intervene at the last minute.
However, sources have since claimed that Kelly actually left the show due to “disrespect” towards her by Hoda’s co-host Savannah Guthrie, who “aggressively” questioned her about Beyoncé – rather than asking the singer what she was there to promote – her new film Mea Culpa.
The dressing room excuse was even seemingly confirmed by Hoda herself, when she offered Rowland to share her clothes the next time she came on the show.
However, it appears Hoda’s comments stirred the pot even further, as an insider told The Wrap that Kelly left after “feeling disrespected” after Guthrie asked her a series of questions about her friend and former bandmate Beyoncé.
A lip-reading expert revealed what Kelly actually said during the heated interaction with the French woman
It was claimed the row came about because staff members were ‘being aggressive’ and Kelly had ‘had it’ with them
“Kelly was offended that Savannah repeatedly and aggressively asked her about Beyoncé,” the insider told the outlet.
“Kelly was upset about Savannah’s aggressive questions about Beyoncé. She and her team were not happy about that and felt disrespected.”
However, a source told TMZ shortly afterwards that Kelly was not aggressively asked about Beyonce, and firmly denied The Wrap’s claims.
The Wrap insider said the locker room accommodation had nothing to do with Rowland’s departure.
“The story went around that Kelly didn’t like her dressing room, but she’s been on the Today show several times. She and her team know the layout of the locker room,” the insider said.
“That wouldn’t be a surprise at all.”