Jennifer Lawrence made headlines during the Cannes Film Festival when she was spotted wearing black flip-flops with a stunning red Christian Dior gown. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Lawrence explained that she had no idea her choice of footwear would be controversial and that the reason she ended up wearing flip-flops was that her heels were a size too big. She also clarified that she wasn’t making any kind of political statement with her shoe choice.
The actress, who has taken a tumble on a red carpet before, had initially walked up the carpet in heels for the premiere of Anatomy of a Fall. However, she later had to take photos with her production team at Excellent Cadaver and didn’t want to risk tripping over in ill-fitting shoes. “So, we had to take an Excellent Cadaver picture, and I knew I would eat s–t if I went down in the shoes that were a size too big. I put on the flip-flops, and then everybody’s like, ‘What a statement! Wow,’” Lawrence said. She added that she’s all for making a statement, but she would want it to be on purpose.
Lawrence also talked about her new film, No Hard Feelings, which she stars in and produces. The film, directed by Gene Stupnitsky, features inappropriate and hilarious moments that Lawrence said she was excited to be a part of. “I’ve known Gene for years, and he’s the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life,” she said. “So, when I read it, I mean, I was dying.” However, she also admitted that she was a little worried about how the movie would be received after its release.
The conversation with Lawrence is a reminder that celebrities are human and that their fashion choices, however unconventional they may seem, are often driven by practical considerations. It’s also a reminder that there is often more to a celebrity’s story than what we see on the surface.
Lawrence’s black flip-flops at Cannes may have caused a stir, but they also highlighted a larger issue in the entertainment industry – the expectation that women must wear high heels on the red carpet. In 2015, a group of women were turned away from the Cannes premiere of Carol for not wearing heels, despite the fact that some of them had medical conditions that made wearing high heels uncomfortable or even dangerous.
The incident sparked a social media backlash, with the hashtag #Heelgate trending on Twitter. Numerous celebrities, including Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, spoke out against the festival’s dress code, with some suggesting that the requirement for women to wear heels was sexist.
Since then, the Cannes Film Festival has revised its dress code to be more inclusive. In 2018, festival director Thierry Fremaux confirmed that women would be allowed to wear flats on the red carpet, and in 2019, actress Elle Fanning was spotted wearing flats with her Gucci gown.
While Lawrence’s flip-flops at Cannes may not have been a political statement, they did draw attention to the ongoing debate around dress codes and the pressure on women in the entertainment industry to conform to certain standards of beauty and fashion. As the industry continues to evolve and strive for greater inclusivity, let’s hope that the focus remains on talent rather than appearance.
