Body language expert breaks down Denzel Washington's 'aggressive' response to photographer on Cannes red carpet

A body language expert has debunked the 'tense moment' between Denzel Washington and a photographer.

Washington is currently in France for the Cannes Film Festival alongside a series of other famous faces such as Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, Eva Longoria and Jennifer Lawrence.

The Hollywood legend is promoting his new movie, Highest 2 Lowest, which he stars in alongside A$AP Rocky and is directed by Spike Lee.

Washington was joined on the red carpet by A$AP and Lee ahead of the premiere of the movie last night (May 19), but things seemingly took a turn when The Equalizer star ended up having an apparent confrontation with a member of the paparazzi.

A lip reader has since revealed what they think the actor said to the photographer, with Washington supposedly urging him to 'never put your hands on me again' after the man grabbed his suit jacket.

Now, a body language expert was weighed in on the ordeal.

Speaking to UNILAD, Dr Beth Dawson shared: "This is a tense moment. At first glance, it appears that Denzel Washington is the one being aggressive because we see him pointing sharply at another man in the crowd.

"But the context reveals more. The man he’s pointing at is grinning broadly, his expression shows genuine amusement.

"His smile and direct eye contact are intended to provoke Denzel and he’s enjoying watching Denzel’s reaction."

Denzel Washington didn't take kindly to his suit being pulled (Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images)

Dr Dawson, who has a PhD in Communication Sciences, continued: "Denzel’s finger pointing gesture signals dominance and accusation. It’s a high-status move, designed to reclaim control and reassert boundaries.

"It is a response to what he feels is an intrusion. The man has touched Denzel, uninvited, while maintaining eye contact and laughing.

"The man who touched Denzel likely feels emboldened by the crowd; he knows there’s a limit to how far Denzel can go in response.

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"Denzel feels constrained in how he can defend himself because he knows he’s in public. Denzel’s body language evokes the image of a wild cat in a confined space. He turns on himself, almost pacing.

"His posture is alert: shoulders high and we see shallow breathing which indicates his nervous system is fully engaged.

The photographer seemed to find the whole thing funny (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

"The enclosure of the crowd heightens the sense of psychological and physical pressure, making the scene feel almost primal."

Commenting on what Washington apparently said to the photographer, Dr Dawson described his sentiments as 'calm, firm, and final'.

"In short, this is a textbook example of provocation escalating into a dominance challenge," she went on to claim.

"The laughing man attempts to assert power through mockery and physical intrusion. Denzel’s response, though aggressive in tone and stance, is a form of controlled self-defence and it is territorial, constrained and instinctive."