Aishwarya Rai’s absence from 2026 Cannes Festival video sparks online outrage
- By Sarah Brohi -
- May 13, 2026
At the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the world beauty giant L’Oréal Paris sparked online debate after omitting Aishwarya Rai Bachchan from a promotional video released ahead of the event.
The Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who is well known as a brand ambassador for L’Oréal Paris, was found absent during the campaign clip.
The video shared on the brand’s Instagram account showed promotional posters being installed across a hotel building in Cannes, featuring stars including Alia Bhatt, Viola Davis, Eva Longoria, and Helen Mirren. The caption read, “And action! The most iconic facade in Cannes is getting its festival look.”
Following the backlash, L’Oréal Paris confirmed that Aishwarya, Alia Bhatt, and Aditi Rao Hydari will represent India at Cannes this year.
Aishwarya became a global ambassador for L’Oréal in 2003 and has attended Cannes with the brand more than 20 times, making her one of the festival’s most familiar red-carpet faces.