The 70-year-old Oscar-winning star was attending the May 19 premiere of his film Highest 2 Lowest alongside co-star A$AP Rocky when the incident occurred.
As the pair walked the red carpet, a photographer tugged on Washington’s suit jacket, sparking an immediate and visibly heated reaction.
Lip reader Jeremy Freeman told the Mail Online that Washington turned and said, “Hey, one-one more time, stop. Let me tell you – stop, stop – never put your hands on me again.”
He also reportedly pointed a finger at the man, who grinned back rather than backing down. Washington added, “I’m talking to you, stop, all right.”
According to Freeman, the photographer replied, “Not allowed,” before laughing and saying, “Yes, yes, yes.” When he grabbed at Washington again and asked, “Can I take a picture?”, the Equalizer actor shouted, “Stop, stop it, stop it. I mean it. Stop, stop it.”
Footage of the moment shows Washington emphatically pointing and shouting “Stop it!” – clearly angry at the repeated contact.
As one fan on X (formerly Twitter) put it: “You can clearly see Denzel say ‘do not put your hands on me’ and then the guy does it again. What a clown.”
Another fan wrote: “I don’t get that stuff. These folks are around people all day, every day grabbing at them and asking them for stuff. Not a life I’d ever want, I see stuff like how Denzel reacted and I give him the total pass.”
Despite the clash, Washington’s night ended on a high note. Director Spike Lee surprised him with an honorary Palme d’Or – a moment that clearly moved the two-time Academy Award winner.
“This is a total surprise for me!” he said, per PEOPLE. “I’m a little emotional, but from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all. It was a great opportunity to collaborate with my brother once again – brother from another mother, Spike.”
Lee, who has worked with the Training Day star for decades, called him “my brother” during the presentation. The ceremony had been specially arranged for Washington’s only off-day from his role in Othello in New York.
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Spike Lee, A$AP Rocky, Denzel Washington at the Highest 2 Lowest Premiere during The 78th Cannes Film Festival. Credit: Michael Buckner / Getty
Highest 2 Lowest, a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 thriller High and Low, wasn’t listed in the initial Cannes lineup.
The film was added only after it was confirmed that Washington could attend. The movie will be released by A24 in theaters on August 22 before hitting Apple TV+ on September 5.
The Cannes run-in isn’t the first time the Gladiator actor has lost patience with intrusive behavior.
Just seven months earlier, he had a similar moment at a film benefit in New York for his friend Samuel L. Jackson.
As fans swarmed him for autographs, he was filmed saying: “Put this down. I heard you. You talk about showing love… respect me,” per Metro.
When one fan replied, “We always do,” he shot back, “I said, ‘I’ll see you when I get out.’ Which part of that don’t y’all understand?” Then he warned: “Or not, or not! We can do it another way. I can do it both ways, y’all.”
