Colleagues Of Usher Who 'Scolded' Kelly Rowland Slam Racism Allegations

Colleagues of the female security guard who was involved in a heated exchange with Kelly Rowland have defended her from racism allegations after the singer hinted that race played a role in their exchange.

They insisted that the said woman, who remains unidentified, was only "doing her job" as she was under pressure to "keep people on the carpet moving."

Rowland broke her silence on the incident, alleging racial profiling because there "were other women who attended that carpet, who did not quite look like me," but weren't "scolded or pushed off or told to get off."

According to the DailyMail, an associate of the Frenchwoman who was involved in a tiff with Rowland has refuted allegations that she was racist in the way she treated the Destiny Child alum.

The colleague insisted that the female security guard "was only doing her job" as she was responsible for ensuring a free flow of traffic on the red carpet.

"She was an usher working under a lot of pressure to keep people on the carpet moving, so as to stop crowds building up," a staff who boasts 20 years of experience working at the festival told the news outlet.

"There was no pushing or shoving or scolding," he went on. "Security and safety are the priorities, along with keeping to strict timetables set according to contracts – even the celebrities have to stick to the rules."

The source went further to downplay the racism allegations Rowland claimed she was meted with as another noted that the "Bad Hair" actress wrongfully thought the "usher stepped on her dress."

The first source noted that "lots of ushers" are involved in the festival and that they "always act professionally and with politeness," as against previous claims that they were being "aggressive" with Rowland.

The long-serving staff added that "Suggestions of racism are just ridiculous – visitors, and indeed staff at Cannes come from all kinds of backgrounds, and none are discriminated against."

Another Cannes staff member, having studied the footage of the incident, told the news outlet that Rowland may have "mistakenly thought the usher stepped on her dress," but that wasn't the case because there was no physical contact between them.

"That's as clear as day – you just have to look at the video," the staff shared. "I think this might well have been just a misunderstanding."

Insiders who spoke to the DailyMail revealed that a verbal altercation ensued between Rowland and a security member, triggered by the purportedly "aggressive" behavior of festival staff as she made her way up the Cannes Film Festival steps for the premiere of the French film "Marcello Mio."

According to the source, the 43-year-old singer reached her breaking point when the people "assigned to helping stars walk the red carpet were being aggressive, and Kelly was trying to ignore it."

"By the time she got to the last woman, she had had it because she scolded Kelly and told her to move when she was trying to wave to fans and help the paparazzi get their shot," the source continued. "She doesn't care if she comes across like a diva if she knows that she is advocating for herself. She isn't fake and wanted to set a clear boundary."

Rowland broke her silence on the viral confrontation that saw her sternly rebuke the usher while she walked the red carpet for Tuesday's premiere of the French film "Marcello Mio" in Cannes.

The "Think Like A Man" actress pointed out that the guard's behavior suggested racism and that she had to stand her ground and defend herself.

"The woman knows what happened. I know what happened," Rowland said. "And, I have a boundary. And I stand by those boundaries, and that is it."

"There were other women who attended that carpet, who did not quite look like me, and they didn't get scolded or pushed off or told to get off," she explained.

An expert lip reader interpreted Rowland and the usher's conversation to give context to the heated exchange.

Jacqui Press explained that the guard stepped on Rowland's dress and apologized, but the singer wasn't offended, telling her, "It's OK."

The security guard, seen trying to usher Rowland up the stairs, then said something that angered Rowland, who responded, "Don't talk to me like that."

The back and forth continued for a few seconds, with Rowland turning around to repeat the phrase several times.

According to the DailyMail, the guard still works at the festival, which runs until Saturday, and there are no reports of a disciplinary action or hearing. It comes amid heightened security concerns in France and a rising spate of global insecurity and wars.