You might think that celebrities would be used to the bright lights, flashing cameras and chaotic red carpets.
However even the most glamorous of stars can buckle under the pressure and over the years a host of celebs have let their emotions get the better of them and snapped for all to see.
Earlier this week Denzel Washington’s mask slipped on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet as he lashed out at an overzealous photographer.
Yet he isn’t the first celebrity to have pointed a damning finger at a photographer or issue a security guard with a few scolding words.
From Tom Cruise and Hannah Waddingham, to Chappell Roan and Kelly Rowland plenty of stars have failed to keep their composure, resulting in numerous heated exchanges for the world to watch.
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From Kelly Rowland scolding words to Tom Cruise’s furious reaction to water gun prank – a look back at the biggest celebrity red carpet meltdowns
Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington shocked fans after lashing out at an overzealous photographer while attending the premiere of his movie Highest 2 Lowest at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.
The Oscar-winning actor, 70, was seen pointing his finger in the face of one of the snappers during the dramatic exchange.
Expert lip reader Jeremy Freeman exclusively told DailyMail.com that the Malcolm X star appears to have been set off by a photographer tapping him on the arm.
As Denzel turned to the photographer, he appeared to shout: ‘Hey, one — one more time, stop.
‘Let me tell you — stop, stop — never put your hands on me again,’ he seemed to tell the photographer, who had a grin plastered on his face throughout the exchange.
‘I’m talking to you, stop, all right,’ he continued.
According to Freeman, the photographer replied to Denzel by saying: ‘Not allowed’, before laughing and adding, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’
Despite the actor’s emphatic words and body language, the photographer can be seen grabbing at Denzel again in the clip, and had the temerity to ask, ‘Can I take a picture?’
Denzel, who appeared completely fed up at that point, shouted back: ‘Stop, stop it, stop it. I mean it. Stop, stop it.’
!['The studio and festival were aware weeks ago, ahead of time, that he would not be available for the press conference today due to his work commitment on [his Broadway production of Othello],' his rep said; his outburst at a photographer Monday is pictured](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/05/21/10/98555253-14734477-_The_studio_and_festival_were_aware_weeks_ago_ahead_of_time_that-a-53_1747818877067.jpg)
Denzel Washington lashed out at an overzealous photographer while attending the red carpet premiere of his movie Highest 2 Lowest at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday
Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland appeared to scold on a security guard while walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival last year.
The Destiny’s Child singer, 43, was pictured shouting and waving her finger at a member of staff on the steps of the iconic venue Palais des Festivals as she sent internet sleuths into overdrive about what she had said.
An expert lip reader later confirmed to what really happened during the ordeal after the tense moment was sparked by the member of security stepping on the singer’s dress as she made her way up the steps.
Jacqui Press said that after the security guard appeared to step on her dress, she apologised and Kelly said: ‘It’s ok.’
However, the security guard then said something else, causing Kelly’s change in mood, as she responded: ‘Don’t talk to me like that.’
As the security guard continued to usher her up the stairs, Kelly turned around and exclaimed: ‘Don’t talk to me like that,’ as she repeated the phrase several times.
The male security guard then came down to ask what was being said as the lady was using 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!’
Kelly Rowland appeared to scold on a security guard while walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival last year as she exclaimed: ‘Don’t talk to me like that’
Hannah Waddingham
Olivier Awards host Hannah Waddingham called out a photographer on the 2024 red carpet after she was asked to ‘show a leg.’
In a video shared by a fan on X, the Ted Lasso star was posing outside the Royal Albert Hall before a photographer apparently requested she ‘show leg.’
The photographer’s remarks were inaudible but Hannah was seen shouting over to the crowd of photographers: ‘Oh my God, you’d never say that to a man, my friend.’
As fans applauded her she then threatened to leave if the comments continue saying: ‘Don’t say “show me leg.” No.’
Walking away Hannah continued to argue with the snapper, pointing at him and adding ‘have some manners’.
Olivier Awards host Hannah Waddingham called out a photographer on the 2024 red carpet after she was asked to ‘show a leg’
Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan proved she is not to be messed with after snapping at one of the red carpet photographers at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards last September.
The Pink Pony Club hitmaker has been very vocal about her attitude to fame and being a celebrity and has spoken out about her exasperation over ‘weird’ fans making her ‘uncomfortable’ with their intrusive behaviour.
And on her first major awards show red carpet, Chappell saw red as she launched an unfiltered verbal attack.
When a photographer was heard shouting: ‘Shut the f*** up,’ Chappell turned and bellowed back: ‘YOU shut the f*** up!’ in footage obtained by DailyMail.com.
The exchange began when a male photographer off-camera was heard apparently shouting that someone needed to ‘turn.’
Chappell at that point was facing away from the cameras, as she was in the process of having her extravagant red carpet outfit adjusted.
She added: ‘No! Not me, b****!’ prompting whoops from some of the observers on the scene. ‘Tell him, girl,’ said one woman who was watching the encounter.
Yet it wasn’t the last time Chappell and a photographer came to blows after she made her feelings known once again at the world premiere of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS film a month later.
In a viral clip of the incident, the singer can be heard calling out the unidentified attendant: ‘You were so disrespectful to me at the Grammys.’
She continued, ‘You were so disrespectful to me at the Grammys. You yelled at me at the Grammy party. Yes. Yes… At the Universal after-party. I remember.
‘You were so rude to me, and I deserve an apology for that. Yeah, yep yep, you do. No no no. You need to apologise to me.’
Chappell Roan proved she is not to be messed with after snapping at one of the red carpet photographers at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards last September
In a viral clip of the incident, the singer can be heard calling out the unidentified attendant: ‘You were so disrespectful to me at the Grammys’
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian was caught scolding a security guard after he caused her to take an awkward tumble as she headed into the Met Gala earlier this month.
The reality star, 44, who led the glam parade on fashion’s biggest night, faced a near-fall when a security guard accidentally stepped on her dress.
After stumbling forward, she angrily turned towards the man and said something to him before she held up her hand with a harsh look on her face.
The awkward moment was caught on camera and shared to TikTok.
Tension seemingly did not end there, as Kim glared back while hopping into a pick-up vehicle before hitting the famous steps at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Kim Kardashian was caught scolding a security guard after he caused her to take an awkward tumble as she headed into the Met Gala earlier this month
Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise’s angry red carpet altercation resulted in the arrest of four men after they drenched the Hollywood star with water at the War of the Worlds London premiere back in 2005.
As the actor answered questions from journalists a bogus reporter stuck out a joke microphone and used it to squirt water into the star’s face.
Tom struggled to maintain his composure and rounded on the man, saying: ‘Why would you do that… why would you do that… why would you do that?’
As the prankster offered a barely audible excuse, the star said: ‘Do you like thinking less of people, is that it?’
After an uncomfortable silence the joker went to walk away but Tom said: ‘Don’t run away. Incredibly rude’
He told his assailant: ‘That’s incredibly rude. I’m here giving you an interview and you do that … it’s incredibly rude.’
He forcibly added: ‘You’re a jerk… jerk… you’re a jerk.’
The man was escorted away by security guards and taken inside the cinema where he and the three other members of his freelance camera crew were arrested.
Tom Cruise’s angry red carpet altercation resulted in the arrest of four men after they drenched the Hollywood star with water at the War of the Worlds London premiere back in 2005
Will Smith
He famously slapped Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscar ceremony, however this wasn’t the first time Will Smith had resorted to violence.
The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air star slapped a reporter who attempted to kiss him on the red carpet during the Moscow premiere of Men In Black 3 back in 2012.
Ukrainian prankster Vitalii Sediuk embraced Will on the red carpet and kissed him on both cheeks.
Yet his warm gesture wasn’t reciprocated and Will promptly pushed him away before slapping him on the cheek.
‘Hey man, what the hell is your problem?’ Will asked Vitalii.
Recounting the incident as he approached the next reporter moments later, Will said: ‘He tried to kiss me on the mouth.
‘He’s lucky I didn’t try to sucker punch him… Sorry, I said that on camera,’ he added.
Will later addressed the kissing incident during an interview on The Late Show With David Letterman where he called it ‘awkward.’
He explained: ‘We’re doing an interview. He’s a reporter, he says, “I’m your biggest fan, can I have a hug?” So I go to give this joker a hug and he tries to lean in to kiss me… it’s just awkward Dave!’
‘That’s what they were saying, they were like “Oh no, we’re sorry, it’s just his schtick.” And I said that’s why his a** got schtuck!”‘ he added.
Vitalii, who has pranked a slew of celebrities, later apologised for kissing Will and admitted it was ‘too much’.
‘I apologise for my behaviour… I think it was too much. I just wanted to do something extraordinary to impress him,’ he said in a video on Hip Hollywood.
The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air star slapped a reporter who attempted to kiss him on the red carpet during the Moscow premiere of Men In Black 3 back in 2012
MGK and Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor and Machine Gun Kelly came to blows on the MTV VMA’s red carpet back in 2021 after they squared up to one another.
The MMA fighter branded the musician a ‘little vanilla boy rapper’ and later brushed off the scuffle, telling a reporter nothing happened because he only spars with ‘real fighters’.
Conor told Entertainment Tonight: ‘Absolutely nothing happened. I don’t know. He showed up, and I don’t know. I don’t know the guy.
‘Nothing happened with me, I only fight real fighters, people that actually fight, you know what I mean? I certainly don’t fight little vanilla boy rappers. I don’t even know the guy. I don’t know anything about him, except that he’s with Megan Fox.
Conor’s rep also said he does not know who the rapper and insisted that his client wasn’t the one to start the scuffle.
Conor McGregor and Machine Gun Kelly came to blows on the MTV VMA’s red carpet back in 2021 after they squared up to one another
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks seemingly had a heated interaction with members of staff at the Cannes Film Festival back in 2023 as he attended the premiere for his film Asteroid City.
The actor was seen looking uncharacteristically frustrated as he pointed his finger at red carpet manager Vincent Chapalain and next to his wife Rita Wilson who held her hand up while speaking to the man.
Questions had been raised over the seemingly heated exchange, however Rita and Vincent went on to set the record straight on what really happened, with Rita taking Instagram hours later to clear the air about the ‘altercation’.
Sharing a picture of the moment, Rita wrote: ‘This is called “I can’t hear you. People are screaming. What did you say? Where are we supposed to go?”‘
She then added: ‘We had a great time. Go see Asteroid City!’
Vincent also cleared up the moment on his own Twitter page, responding to someone who had asked what was going on.
The person had questioned: ‘Did Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson get confuse with security? An explanation?’
Vincent himself replied, writing: ‘They just asked me if they should go back to the start of the mat with the rest of the film crew (I’m not security) wink.’
The moment caused a stir online with many speculating about what had happened to cause the reaction from the ‘one of the nicest guys in Hollywood’.
However it appears that it was nothing more than a misunderstanding according to Rita and Vincent’s accounts of the exchange.
Tom Hanks seemingly had a heated interaction with members of staff at the Cannes Film Festival back in 2023 as he attended the premiere for his film Asteroid City