Denzel Washington snapped at a photographer on Monday during a tense, red carpet exchange at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Oscar-winning actor — while at the world premiere of “Highest 2 Lowest,” his upcoming film with Spike Lee — was talking with the director and his co-star ASAP Rocky when someone grabbed his arm among a sea of photographers behind a barricade, according to video shared by The New York Post.
It’s unclear exactly who among the photographers initially grabbed Washington — which was seemingly done to get his attention — but the move ticked off the actor, who shouted down one man while putting his finger in his face.
The photographer, in response, was seen laughing off the matter as Washington continued to scold him, bringing the man’s arm down at one point.
After Washington turned away, the photographer grabbed the actor, who quickly reacted by swatting back the man’s arm.
“Stop it!” Washington appeared to repeatedly tell the man before walking away.
You can watch the clip of the exchange here.
The tense exchange comes just months after Washington, while arriving at a New York City benefit event honoring fellow actor Samuel L. Jackson in October, confronted autograph seekers who called on him to “show some love.”
“I got nothing but love, but respect me,” said Washington, per a TMZ clip of the exchange last year.
“Alright, I said I’ll see you when I get out. Which part of that don’t y’all understand?”
On Monday, a representative for Washington told People magazine that despite the heated red carpet moment, it was a “great evening” for the actor.
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Washington received an Honorary Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor, while his upcoming film with Lee — a reinterpretation of legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 movie “High and Low” — reportedly got a six-minute ovation from the Cannes crowd.
