Nina Dobrev found herself at the center of an awkward viral moment at the Venice Film Festival after security appeared to cut her red carpet appearance short and usher her away from photographers.
The 37-year-old Vampire Diaries star was attending the opening of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 2, where she walked the carpet for the premiere of director Danny Boyle’s film Ink.
Dobrev arrived in a glamorous Armani Privé gown and began posing for photographers as fans cheered nearby.
Her strapless, floor-length dress featured shimmering black sequins, an asymmetrical neckline and a fitted bodice. Dramatic olive-green panels ran down the sides of the gown and extended into a train.
But Dobrev’s photo opportunity quickly took an uncomfortable turn.
Video from the event showed an unidentified man dressed in a dark suit approaching the actress while she was posing.
The man raised his arm and appeared to gesture for Dobrev to move along. Other footage showed him appearing to indicate his watch as he spoke to her, seemingly signaling that her time on the carpet was over.
Dobrev looked visibly confused by the interruption and appeared to question what was happening.
A woman who was off camera then appeared to intervene, seemingly giving Dobrev a little more time in front of the photographers.
The actress rearranged the train of her dress and resumed posing, but the reprieve did not last long.
A second man in a suit soon approached and appeared to usher Dobrev away from the photographers.
The actress looked stunned as she walked off, flashing an awkward smile and raising her hand toward the crowd before leaving the area.
The uncomfortable exchange was captured on camera and quickly spread across social media, where viewers debated whether Dobrev had actually been “kicked off” the carpet or had simply exceeded the time allotted for her photos.
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“If I were Nina Dobrev getting kicked off of the Venice Film Festival red carpet, I would’ve evaporated from sheer embarrassment,” one viewer wrote.
Another questioned whether Dobrev had simply stayed too long or whether the festival’s organization was to blame, describing the entire situation as embarrassing.
Others defended the security staff, arguing that Dobrev had not actually been removed from the festival and had merely been asked to continue moving down the carpet because her posing time had ended.
One commenter said it appeared the security official was simply asking her to keep walking and that Dobrev seemed confused by the request.
As of the initial reports, neither Dobrev nor Venice Film Festival organizers had publicly explained exactly what led to the interaction. Tyla reported that it had contacted representatives for both the actress and the festival for comment.
Despite the red carpet mishap, Dobrev maintained her composure and completed her appearance at one of the film industry’s most prestigious annual events.
The actress is best known for playing Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on The Vampire Diaries and previously appeared on the long-running Canadian series Degrassi.
The awkward Venice moment comes amid renewed attention on Dobrev’s personal life.
In July, she was photographed walking through New York City with model Douglas “Dougie” Joseph. The two appeared affectionate during the outing, with Joseph reportedly kissing Dobrev on the cheek and embracing her as her dog, Maverick, accompanied them.
The sighting fueled romance speculation that had already been surrounding the pair.
It came roughly 10 months after Dobrev’s split from former fiancé and Olympic snowboarder Shaun White was confirmed.
Dobrev and White had been together for about five years before ending their engagement. At the time, a source told People the breakup was a mutual decision made with love and respect for one another.
Dobrev has also remained busy professionally. She recently appeared alongside Russell Crowe in The Get Out, which follows Crowe’s character, nightclub owner Manco Kapak, as his plans to retire unravel when he becomes caught between masked gunmen, a violent cartel and a mysterious buyer.