Lim Yoon-a fans call out 'racist' security guard at Cannes Film Festival

K-pop

Published: 28 May. 2024, 14:20 Updated: 28 May. 2024, 19:53

Lim Yoon-a fans call out 'racist' security guard at Cannes Film Festival

Singer and actor Yoona arrives for the screening of the film ″Horizon: An American Saga″ at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in France on May 19. [AFP/YONHAP]

Fans of actor Lim Yoon-a, a member of Girls' Generation, are raging over an alleged racist security guard at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Lim, a singer and actor also known as Yoona, attended the festival’s red carpet event ahead of the screening of “Horizon: American Saga” on May 19.

Videos of her being interrupted by the festival’s guard while trying to pose for the camera during her red-carpet moment spread online.

In the videos, Lim walks up the stairs and attempts to pose and wave at the camera. However, the guard stretches her arms out and allegedly hurries Lim into the venue. People claimed that the guard mistreated the actor, ruining her red-carpet moment.

While being interrupted by the guard, Lim’s facial expression seemed uncomfortable, according to news reports.

Lim’s possible mistreatment was seen as part of repeated offenses by the festival's guard who acted similarly toward actors of color, according to the Indian news outlet Hindustan Times on Sunday.

Screen captured images from a video of a guard allegedly rushing Yoona into the venue. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The guard allegedly displayed different attitudes toward actors of color, especially women, compared to white actors, the report said. Dominican actor Massiel Taveras and Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland were both stopped by the same guard on separate days, according to media reports.

Rowland was seen confronting the guard on May 21, two days after the same guard interrupted Yoona. This stirred up allegations that the way the guard treated Yoona was possibly racist.

The Destiny's Child singer claimed that she was “racially profiled,” saying to the Associated Press that “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.”

The organizers have not commented on the incident, according to media reports.

To find more about Lim Yoon-a, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]