Overseasidol.com — Chinese actress Zhao Yingzi has addressed the growing controversy surrounding her recent appearance at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival red carpet.
The videos circulating online sparked claims that she was “ushered off” the carpet for overstaying her time.
In a recent livestream, Zhao firmly denied that she was removed, explaining that what occurred was standard staff guidance often seen with other celebrities as well.
“No, I wasn’t kicked out,” Zhao clarified.
“You saw the staff guiding me, people are just misinterpreting that as being expelled. Even Tom Cruise had a staff member guiding him the same way.
Why is it called ‘guidance’ when it’s him, but ‘expulsion’ when it’s me? Just because I’m a Chinese woman?,” she said.
Zhao went on to express her disappointment at what she described as a lack of solidarity among Chinese women, urging fans and the public to avoid tearing each other down over misunderstandings.
“Chinese girls shouldn’t be attacking Chinese girls. We should be helping each other, not constantly trying to bring one another down for selfish reasons,” she added.
The incident at Cannes began when Zhao’s dress was accidentally stained by spilled coffee, prompting her to request urgent assistance.
While on the red carpet, she reportedly lingered longer than scheduled, leading to multiple instances of staff gently guiding her to move along.
Zhao emphasized that such red carpet management is standard procedure and should not be seen as scandalous.
Her statement highlights broader issues of gender, nationality, and double standards in global media narratives, especially as Asian celebrities navigate international stages.
