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Barbra Streisand will not be appearing at this year’s Cannes Film Festival – where she was due to receive an honorary Palme d’Or – after suffering a knee injury.
The actress and singer was actually scheduled to present the award at the closing ceremony on May 23rd. However, festival organizers announced Sunday that they had “just been informed that Ms. Barbra Streisand will not be able to attend the ceremony.”
“On the advice of my doctors, while I continue to recover from a knee injury, I am unfortunately unable to attend the Festival de Cannes this year,” Streisand said in a statement. “But I am deeply honored to receive the honorary Palme d’Or and was so looking forward to celebrating the extraordinary films of the 79th edition.”
Streisand continued: “I was also very much looking forward to spending time with colleagues I so admire – and of course returning to France, a place I have always loved. While I am sorry that I cannot be there in person, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to all the filmmakers from around the world whose extraordinary talent and creative vision will be celebrated this year. My sincere thanks to the festival and everyone who continues to support and promote the art of cinema.”
The closing ceremony on May 23 will include a tribute to Streisand despite her absence; she has never appeared at the legendary film festival, and the closing ceremony would have been her Cannes debut.
Frémaux pays tribute to Streisand
“As a global star, Barbra Streisand is, above all, an artist who creates projects that reflect who she is, that are her own and that she shares with the world,” Cannes festival director Thierry Frémaux said in a statement earlier this year. “She is the legendary synthesis between Broadway and Hollywood, between the musical stage and the screen. Hearing her sing and seeing her perform is one of our most beautiful years.”
In addition to Streisand, actor John Travolta and director Peter Jackson also received an honorary Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
