Denzel Washington Shouts Into Smiling Face of Photographer Who Grabbed Him

Actor Denzel Washington got into a heated exchange with a photographer on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday.

The Gladiator II star became annoyed when one of the photographers reached out and grabbed him, which he apparently took umbrage with. He walks over to the photographer and points his finger, appearing to scold him.

The photographers he is speaking to are both smiling and laughing, but Washington is intent on telling them off; he is holding the photographer’s arm as he berates him. Once he’s finished telling him off, he goes to turn away but the photographer immediately grabs his arm again. So Washington turns back around and can be seen clearly saying, “Stop, stop, stop.” He turns away and that’s the end of the matter.

Washington’s evening improved after the confrontation as he received an honorary Palme d’Or, presented by Spike Lee who has directed many of Washington’s films. Their next film, Highest 2 Lowest, will be out later this year.

On Reddit, a post titled “Denzel Washington puts a photographer in his place for putting his hands on him” got plenty of attention with virtually all of the commenters criticizing the photographer for his actions and suggesting he was purposely trying to get a reaction out of the Hollywood star.

Not sure who this reporter at #CannesFilmFestival is that lost his mind & thinks it’s OK to put his hands on Denzel Washington, but clearly someone hasn’t seen The Equalizer. I said unhand my king!! Take two steps back! Do you have any idea who you’re fucking with, sir? Back off! pic.twitter.com/FUJd6M9Fb8

— Cinema Tweets (@CinemaTweets1) May 19, 2025

On X (formerly Twitter), most people seemed to back Washington too. However some criticized him for believing that he is a character in one of his movies.

Cannes is one of the most prestigious events on the Hollywood calendar and an important one for movie premieres. Most of the accredited photographers on the red carpet belong to major picture agencies or are there for specific publications such as Vanity Fair or People.

Celebrities stop at marked points, turn, and pose in each direction to ensure every agency gets the shot. Photographers do yell out to the celebs, sometimes aggressively, to get attention and eye contact.

Getting a good placement at Cannes signals status in the industry. Veteran photographers or those tied to top agencies often get the best angles and jostling for position goes on as photographers stand elbow to elbow vying for the best shot.

For most of the big hitters, their photos will be wired to a photo editor as they shoot meaning they barely even look at their photos as they focus on the celebs. The instantaneous social media world we live in means that pictures must be uploaded as fast as possible.

Image credits: Photograph by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images