As the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival begins, the French Riviera is once again preparing for its annual celebration of cinema, couture, and celebrity glamour. Luxury brands, international stars, and filmmakers have already started arriving in Cannes ahead of one of the most prestigious film events in the world.
Among the brands building anticipation around the festival is L’Oréal Paris. However, recently the beauty brand has courted controversy after it unveiled a video featuring all its global ambassadors but missing out Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
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The video showed the iconic façade of Hôtel Martinez transformed with towering posters of its global ambassadors, including Eva Longoria, Viola Davis, Helen Mirren, and Alia Bhatt. However, fans were quick to notice that one famous face was missing, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who has been an iconic and evergreen face of the brand from India. The brand captioned the video: “And… action! The most iconic façade in Cannes is getting its festival look. Hôtel Martinez is officially dressed in L’Oréal Paris.”
The omission immediately sparked reactions online, especially because Aishwarya has long been associated with both Cannes and L’Oréal Paris. For many fans, her red carpet appearances over the years have become an inseparable part of the festival’s legacy.
While Alia Bhatt’s supporters celebrated her inclusion in the campaign, many of Aishwarya’s fans expressed disappointment in the comments section, questioning why the actor was absent despite being one of L’Oréal’s longest-standing global ambassadors.
An Internet user wrote, “It’s too much! This time L’Oreal is going overboard. The poster doesn’t feature a legend like Aishwarya, who made the L’Oreal brand popular across the entire Asian continent, but instead highlights some actresses who are just two days old! Apart from Aishwarya’s ads, which other ambassador’s ads have received millions of views? Shame @lorealparis.”
Another chimes in, “@lorealparis you are ignoring all the comments featuring Aishwarya, where is your worth now ? Huh ? You are just back of new faces but forgetting the way Aishwarya brought you fame in Asia 🔥 @lorealparis you need to answer or be ready to get your worth down.”
Soon after, the brand released a video featuring all its international ambassadors which finally included Aishwarya Rai on the Cannes 2025 red carpet and doing a namaste in the end.
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Finally, it felt like doing damage control with fans super excited for “OG Queen Aishwarya”.
Aishwarya Rai’s Cannes Appearances
Aishwarya first attended Cannes in 2002 for the premiere of Devdas. Since then, she has remained one of India’s most recognisable faces at the international festival. Over the years, her dramatic couture gowns, traditional Indian ensembles, and memorable beauty moments have consistently made global headlines, earning her the unofficial title of the “Queen of Cannes” among admirers.
Will Aishwarya Rai attend Cannes 2026?
According to reports, Aishwarya is expected to attend the 2026 Cannes Film Festival later this month. It will mark her 23rd appearance at the prestigious event as a global ambassador for L’Oréal Paris. The festival runs from May 12 to May 23 and is anticipated to see a strong Indian celebrity presence once again.
Aishwarya Rai’s iconic look from Cannes 2025
Last year, Aishwarya’s red carpet appearance became one of the festival’s most talked-about fashion moments after she arrived in an ivory saree designed by Manish Malhotra. The look featured intricate Kadwa Banarasi craftsmanship. She paired the elegant look with a stunning multi-layered ruby and diamond jewellery, and a traditional touch with sindoor. It won praise across social media for celebrating Indianess on a global platform.
