Venice Diary Day 6: Oddballs on the Red Carpet

The security guards guarding the stars on the Lido have an often tricky job. Not only do they have to protect divas from their fans — they also have to deal with more than the usual number of oddballs, imposters and seat-stealers.

The Fan in a Thong

A 50-year-old man was camped out all night near the red carpet, waiting to catch a glimpse of his favorite stars. By early morning, he headed to the Lido beach for a quick dip in the sea. With the temperature now rising above 95 degrees, our fan returned to the red carpet area, wearing only a thong. The security guards approached him. “That’s not allowed!” one officer told him. “I have to wait here for the stars until tonight,” said the fan. “Do you want me to die of heat?”

The “Wife” of Brad Pitt Is Denied Entry to the Palazzo del Cinema

She arrives at a hurried pace, wearing a long evening gown (at 10 in the morning) covered in rhinestones, pearls and bows. Her emerald green eyeshadow reaches up to her eyebrows, two circles of blush reddened her cheeks. Her fringe is stiff with hairspray, and the back of her hair is a bird’s nest of tangles. “I have to reach my husband, Brad!” she exclaims to the astonished guard at the entrance to the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido. She frantically waves a driver’s license, a marriage certificate and an ID card. Her enthusiasm is genuine, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to get her inside the Palazzo.

The Seat Stealer

He sat comfortably in the front row of the Palazzo del Cinema press conference room, in one of those seats reserved for the Big Shots. When someone arrived, he would even warn them, “These are reserved; you can’t sit here.” He had occupied that seat every day for nearly a week, and everyone assumed he was someone important. But this morning, when a security guard casually asked for his badge, there was a surprise: He didn’t have the credentials to enter. “But I always get here before everyone else,” he tried to explain to the guard. He was escorted out.