Actress Nina Dobrev suffered a humiliating red carpet exchange at the Venice Film Festival after security staff seemingly instructed her to move along during a photocall.
The 37-year-old star was posing for photographers in a sequined Armani Privé gown when an unnamed man in an all-black suit stepped directly in front of her and gestured for her to leave.
The man raised his left arm to point down the carpet and muttered instructions to Dobrev, who appeared unimpressed by the interruption. A woman standing off camera briefly intervened, allowing the actress to steal a few seconds in front of the cameras.
Dobrev playfully twirled the long tulle drapes attached to the midriff of her strapless gown while maintaining a very stern expression. Security personnel then quickly re-emerged to usher her away.
Dobrev pulled an awkward frowning face before moving away and letting out a giggle in apparent disbelief. She briefly waved to photographers gathered on the other side of the carpet, but did not stop.
Social media reaction to red carpet incident
Video footage of the exchange quickly began circulating on social media, prompting widespread reaction from viewers online.
One X user wrote: "If I were Nina Dobrev getting kicked off of the Venice Film Festival red carpet, I would've evaporated from sheer embarrassment." Another questioned: "Did she stay too long, or was it their lack of organisation? Either way, it was embarrassing." A third user added: "Why the f*** did they send Nina Dobrev away like that from the Venice red carpet?"
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Venice Film Festival for comment regarding the exchange.
Venice Film Festival and career background
Held on the island of the Lido in Venice, Italy, the Venice Film Festival is recognized as the world's oldest international film festival. Established in 1932, the event takes place annually at the historic Palazzo del Cinema and forms part of the Venice Biennale, one of the world's premier cultural institutions covering visual arts, architecture, cinema, and performing arts.
Dobrev, who was born in Bulgaria and raised in Canada, first gained international recognition on the teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation before starring as Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on The CW supernatural drama series The Vampire Diaries. She has since appeared in feature films including The Perks of Being a Wallflower, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, and the Netflix romantic comedy Love Hard. Her outfit at the photocall was an Armani Privé gown, the haute couture line of Italian luxury fashion house Giorgio Armani.
Recent relationships and personal life
The red carpet exchange follows recent speculation about Dobrev's personal life after she was spotted in New York City with male model Dougie Joseph in June.
Dobrev previously ended her engagement to former Olympic snowboarder Shaun White in September 2025. White is a three-time Olympic gold medalist in halfpipe snowboarding, having won gold at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, the 2010 Games in Vancouver, and the 2018 Games in PyeongChang. He holds the record for the most X Games gold medals and most Olympic gold medals by a snowboarder, and also competed professionally as a skateboarder before retiring from competitive sports.
The two stars first crossed paths in 2019 and went Instagram official the following year. In May 2022, they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the royal premiere of the Tom Cruise action sequel Top Gun: Maverick in London.
Two years later, Dobrev and White announced their engagement following a romantic proposal in New York City. However, in September 2025, it was revealed that they had decided to end their engagement and go their separate ways.
A source told People magazine at the time of the split: "It was a mutual decision, and wasn't an easy one, but it was made with love and a deep respect for one another."
