Wednesday, May 21, 2025 - Celebrated actor, Denzel Washington skipped the press conference for new movie, Highest 2 Lowest following an altercation with a photographer at the Cannes Film Festival.
The 70-year-old Oscar winner surprised onlookers when he was
seen pointing his finger at a photographer during a tense red carpet exchange.
Washington was in France promoting his new film directed by Spike Lee, but was
notably absent from the official press conference at the Palais des Festivals
the following morning.
It remains unclear whether Washington is still in France, as
Cannes organizers reportedly adjusted their schedule to accommodate his brief
trip due to his ongoing performance commitments in New York, where he is
starring in Othello.
The way Denzel Washington handled that situation at #cannes is how
everyone in the film community should moving forward deal with ppl who come at
us trashing our favorite movies and or actors. Telling us our opinions are
wrong if we like a movie or not. Enough is enough! pic.twitter.com/6BSztZlabx
Director Spike Lee appeared to allude to the incident during the press conference, joking, “The last time I was in this room, I had to apologise for a mess-up, but I won’t be apologising today for a mess-up.” Lee was referencing a moment from 2021 when he prematurely announced the Palme d’Or winner while serving as jury president.
Lee went on to suggest that Highest 2 Lowest might mark the
end of his collaborations with Washington. The two have previously worked
together on several acclaimed films, including Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Malcolm
X (1992), He Got Game (1998), and Inside Man (2006). “We were surprised to
realise Inside Man was 18 years ago because it feels like yesterday,” Lee said.
“But I don’t know if we’re going to do it again. I think this is it. Five
films. He’s been talking about retirement—even though he just did another
deal.”
Highest 2 Lowest is a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963
classic High and Low, set for theatrical release by A24 on August 22, followed
by streaming on Apple TV+ starting September 5.
Despite the press conference absence, Washington did attend
the film’s premiere, where the red carpet incident took place. According to
expert lip reader Jeremy Freeman, the confrontation appeared to have been
triggered by a photographer tapping the actor on the arm. Though Washington’s
tone was intense, other photographers nearby appeared to smile, possibly
unaware of his agitation.
This is not the first time Washington has had tense moments
with fans and photographers. In October 2024, he was seen in a heated exchange
with autograph seekers at an event in New York. While attending a benefit for
Samuel L. Jackson at the Museum of Modern Art, he snapped at fans and firmly
told them, “It’s about showing love… or not! We can do it both ways!” before
entering the building.
Washington was later honored with an honorary Palme d’Or
award during the festival. Spike Lee, who presented the award, called him “my
brother,” to which a surprised Washington replied, “This is a total surprise
for me!” He later posed for photos alongside Lee and co-star A$AP Rocky,
appearing in high spirits before his expected return to New York.
When the Cannes lineup was first announced, Highest 2 Lowest
was not included. Spike Lee later confirmed its appearance at the festival,
with organizers explaining that they had been awaiting Washington’s attendance
confirmation.
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