Kelly Rowland Cannes bust-up: Colleagues defend usher against accusations of racism and insist she was ‘only doing her job’

Red carpet colleagues accused of disrespecting Kelly Rowland at Cannes have defended the Frenchwoman, saying: ‘She was only doing her job.’

Kelly, the 43-year-old American singer, expressed her shock and anger over her treatment during the ongoing film festival at the French Riviera resort.

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.

Pointing out racism, she suggested that “there were other women who attended that carpet who didn’t look exactly like me, and they weren’t yelled at or pushed away or told to get off.”

But other security staff working at the showbiz event – one of the most controlled in Europe – said the unidentified usher acted appropriately.

“She was an usher who worked under a lot of pressure to keep people moving on the carpet to keep the crowds from building up,” said a veteran of the festival staff who has worked at the resort every May for 20 years.

“There was no pushing, shoving or swearing,” he said. ‘Safety and safety are the priorities, along with adhering to strict timescales set out in contracts – even celebrities have to adhere to the rules.

‘There are many ushers involved and they always act professionally and politely.

“In this case, the messenger was certainly only doing her job, she did nothing wrong.”

The usher has not been publicly identified, but it is known that she is a local Frenchwoman with a short-term contract with the week-long festival.

The source added: ‘Suggestions of racism are absolutely ridiculous – attendees, and even staff at Cannes, come from all backgrounds, and none are discriminated against.’

Another Cannes employee who reviewed video of Tuesday’s incident said Ms Rowland may have “mistakenly believed the usher stepped on her dress”.

In fact this was not the case, and the usher did not physically touch Mrs Rowland or her clothing at all.

“That’s obvious, you just have to watch the video,” the staff member said. “I think maybe this was just a misunderstanding.”

Festival officials declined to discuss security matters but indicated that the usher was still on duty at the event, which ends Saturday, and that there was no investigation or attempt to discipline anyone.

This year’s Festival – the 77th edition – comes at a time when security in France is at the highest possible level.

There have been threats from terrorist groups to target stars, and wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have also increased tensions ahead of global events including the Paris Olympics in July and the 80th anniversary of D- Day in June.

Thousands of additional police and gendarmes are in the Cannes area, while six private security companies are helping to secure the Festival’s main venue, along the world-famous Croissette promenade.

They are all tasked with keeping people moving, including along the red carpet, so that the multimillion-dollar television, film and advertising programs stay on schedule.

It comes after Kelly broke her silence on the incident, claiming there were other women who didn’t look like her who were treated differently and 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.”

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.

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.

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.

“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.”