Nina Dobrev was apparently ushered away by security moments after stepping on to the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival, in an awkward exchange that has since spread online.
The 37-year-old actress had taken her position in front of photographers before a man dressed in a black suit approached and gestured for her to move on.
Footage from the opening night on Wednesday, 2 September, appears to show the man speaking to Dobrev as she looked towards him with a frown. A woman off camera then seemed to intervene briefly, allowing the actress a few more seconds before security returned.
Dobrev posed with a stern expression and played with the long green panels attached to her gown, before stepping away and laughing as if in disbelief. She waved briefly to photographers on the other side of the carpet but did not stop for further pictures.
The incident took place as she arrived for the premiere of Ink, Danny Boyle’s opening film at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The film, starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy, had its world premiere at the Sala Grande on the festival’s opening night.
Dobrev wore an archival Armani Privé gown, featuring a strapless black sequinned bodice that faded into a moss-green train and sheer panels around her waist. Fashion publications highlighted the dramatic look as one of the early standouts of this year’s festival.
The clip prompted a wave of reaction on social media, with one user writing: “If I were Nina Dobrev getting kicked off of the Venice Film Festival red carpet, I would’ve evaporated from sheer embarrassment.”
Another questioned whether Dobrev had stayed too long or whether the moment reflected poor organisation, while a third asked why she had been sent away in such a manner.
There was no immediate public explanation for the intervention from the festival. The Venice Film Festival, organised by La Biennale di Venezia, is due to run on the Lido until Saturday, 12 September.
