Ukrainian model sues over Cannes red carpet “assault”

Ukrainian model Sawa Pontyjska says she has filed a legal complaint against organisers of the Cannes Film Festival after alleging she was assaulted by a security guard on the red carpet.

Pontyjska was one of several guests who were filmed being challenged by the same steward at the French event.

Singer Kelly Rowland complained about the same individual, while footage of the guard with South Korean actress Yoona and Dominican actress Massiel Taveras also went viral.

Pontyjska, who is presenter for FashionTV, told BBC News she was “brutally” restrained while attempting to enter the cinema with a legitimate ticket for the premiere of Marcello Mio, Christophe Honoré’s French comedy drama.

On Wednesday (May 29), Pontyjska posted pictures of documents accusing the festival of “physical assault and psychological damage”. She said her reputation had also been harmed and is seeking €100,000 (£85,000) in damages.

Festival organisers have not responded to requests for comment.

A video of the incident, which occurred on May 21, has been viewed more than 16 million times on TikTok. It shows Pontyjska at the top of the stairs to the Palais des Festivals, before being seen to be ushered away by the guard who then places two arms around her.

The pair appeared to have a brief struggle and the model almost dropped to the floor, before heading back down the stairs and being stopped by more security personnel.

“I was trying to escape from this lock,” Pontyjska told the BBC, claiming the guard placed in a “bear hug”. “I went down and I started to run away on the stairs because it was the way back [out].

“She was trying to push me in[side], so nobody can see what she’s doing with me. Then she kicked me out through the back door,” the model alleged.

Pontyjska, who insists that she was doing nothing wrong, said she has since tried to contact the organisers to request an apology, but has no yet received a response.

In her legal complaint, she said she was “violently challenged by one of a group of security guards” in front of “thousands of people”. She claimed that the use of physical force caused “acute pain”, and that she also suffered “psychological trauma”.

The unnamed guard had previously made headlines during the two-week festival, including for an alleged heated exchange with Rowland at the same premiere.

The former Destiny’s Child singer later told the Associated Press: “The woman knows what happened. I know what happened. I have a boundary, and I stand by those boundaries and that is it.”

She continued: “There were other women that attended that carpet who did not quite look like me and they didn’t get scolded or pushed or told to get off. I stood my ground, and she felt like she had to stand hers.”

Taveras, meanwhile, appeared to push the guard after repeatedly being hurried up the red carpet. The same security worker was also accused by Yoona’s fans of rushing the South Korean star inside.