Lip reader details what Denzel Washington shouted at photographer, and boy it’s juicy

While promoting his new film Highest 2 Lowest at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, Denzel Washington was pictured getting very angry at a photographer on the red carpet.

He seemed to approach the photographer with co-star A$AP Rocky, who was all giggles and smiles until Denzel leaned over to wave his finger in the photographer’s face. Despite the clear tension in the air, the photographer seemed happy enough and was laughing and joking as the Hollywood legend was telling him off.

Speaking to the MailOnline, lip-reading expert Jeremy Freeman detailed the tense exchange and how it seemed to step from unwanted physical contact.

“Hey, one – one more time, stop,” Denzel reportedly said after the photographer tapped him on the arm. “Let me tell you — stop, stop — never put your hands on me again. I’m talking to you, stop, all right.”

Denzel Washington appeared to have a tense exchange on the "Highest 2 Lowest" red carpet at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival. 🎥: Getty pic.twitter.com/NirZELEloi

— New York Post (@nypost) May 19, 2025

According to Jeremy, the photographer then said, “Not allowed” before understanding Denzel’s point and responding, “Yes, yes, yes.”

Despite seemingly understanding what Denzel Washington was saying on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet, the video showed the photographer grabbing him once again for a picture.

“Can I take a picture?” he asked, to which Denzel replied, “Stop, stop it, stop it. I mean it. Stop, stop it.”

Reacting to the clip, one person said: “Dude had the audacity to touch Denzel without consent, laugh in his face as he was being told off for it, then proceeded to GRAB HIM BY THE ARM and try pulling him back? He’s lucky he didn’t get smacked.”

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“Literally saying stop putting your hands on me… You nod and then do it again? Hmmm,” another said, while a third added, “Idk man if someone grabbed me like that not once but a second time after I confront them about it, he would have caught these hands. People really think celebrities are public property.”

Denzel Washington was promoting his new film at Cannes

Yesterday was the world premiere of Highest 2 Lowest, a neo-noir crime thriller and retelling of 1the 1963 Japanese classic High and Low. Moving the location to New York City, the remake sees a music mogul get swept up in a ransom plot that poses serious moral dilemmas.

Its cast is seriously stacked, with Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, ASAP Rocky, and Dean Winters all acting alongside Denzel. In her first-ever movie appearance, Ice Spice also features as Marisol Cepeda. It’s early days and the jury is still out, but already, Highest 2 Lowest has 92 per cent on Rotten Rotten Tomatoes.

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Featured image credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock