A week after Halle Berry risked an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction at the Met Gala, by wearing a risqué dress that nearly revealed her nether regions, she rushed to switch up her gown for the opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival, after organizers announced a new dress code that, among other things, bans nudity on the red carpet.
Berry said she had to make the change at the last minute, as she explained to journalists at the festival, where she is a festival jury member this year, according to Reuters.
Under the new rules, nudity is not allowed on the red carpet, and “voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train,” that block the way for other guests and complicate theatre seating are also no longer permitted, Reuters reported. Organizers could deny celebrities the chance to walk the red carpet if they don’t respect the rules.
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 13: Jury Member Halle Berry walks onstage during the opening ceremony at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais de Festival on May 13, 2025 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
The Oscar winner said her original outfit wouldn’t have violated the no-nudity ban, but the rule against voluminous outfits.
“I had an amazing dress by Gupta to wear tonight, and I cannot wear it because the train’s too big,” Berry said. She said she actually agreed with the no-nudity rule, which is actually a bit surprising, given her outfit at last week’s Met Gala.
Berry created a stir by donning a mermaid-style gown by designer LaQuan Smith that was mostly see-through. It featured a plunging neckline and a strategically-placed black stripe down the front that barely covered her genitals. Berry created another stir on Mother’s Day by posting a video of herself in bed with her partner Van Hunt, apparently nude, to advertise a travel-size bottle of “intimacy gel.”
The gown Berry wore for the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony Tuesday night also had black stripes but was not see-through. While it featured a shoulder-baring halter neckline, its lose, billowing skirt kept her pretty well covered up. Instead of a voluminous train, the dress showcased a playful pink ruffle at the back.
The new Cannes dress code comes after a demonstrator appeared topless on the Cannes red carpet in 2022 and Kanye West’s wife Bianca Censori wore a transparent dress to the Grammys that left little to the imagine, Variety reported. But as much as Cannes may be eager to avoid controversy over celebrity outfits, the film festival’s guidelines for appropriate dress have provoked outraged in the past.
For example, women protested the rule that guests wear “elegant” shoes for evening screening, Variety reported. That’s because “elegant” became synonymous with high heels for women, which was considered unfair to women. Low heels are now more acceptable, as long as they are not sneakers. But the shoe rules have still caused snafus, as when a Native American producer was turned away from the red carpet for wearing moccasins in 2022.
