A pro-Vladimir Putin influencer and model who was allowed onto The Cannes Film Festival red carpet has sparked fury.
The film festival has been criticised for allowing the pro-Putin influencer onto the red carpet after Victoria Bonya, 42, posted pictures of her attending the event.
Organisers were restricting access to Russians with Kremlin links but a video from Variety shows the arrival of the model, businesswoman and influencer.
Bonya - who lives in Monaco - has previously posed in a Putin swimsuit and T-shirts.
In one protest against the West’s reaction to the war, she joined other Russian socialites in posting footage cutting up their Chanel accessories.
She said last month: “I have to say if Chanel House does not respect its clients, [why] do we have to respect Chanel? Bye bye.”
And she urged the West to “stop hating Russians”.
Her appearance - when anti-Putin independent journalists were blocked - triggered a social media storm.
Russian showbiz media outlet Spletnik said: “ Twitter users were outraged that a person who publicly supports the president of Russia was on the red carpet.”
One Tweet read: “We invite the regime's accomplice. Hypocrisy, nothing else.”
Another said: “Why is she not banned as a Putin media supporter?”
A complainant said: “We are not welcoming people who tied with Russian government' and literally let her to the festival opening.”
Bonya has been a TV presenter and game show participant, and had acting parts - including one in the past with Volodymyr Zelensky.
She is now seen as a social media influencer with a pro-Putin edge despite living in luxury in the West.
A representative of the [Cannes] festival said that only a “few” Russian media outlets that correspond to the 'anti-war position of the festival' were approved, without explaining Bonya’s presence.
She accused her critics of “double standards” and stressed she had briefly appeared in an acting role with Zelensky.
“Why don't they tag me in the pictures where I'm playing a movie with Zelensky?” she asked.
