Halle Berry forced to change her outfit after Cannes Film Festival releases new dress code

There’s a new dress code in Cannes.

Ahead of the Cannes Film Festival 2025 kickoff, the event released a new edict: no more nudity on the red carpet (“for decency reasons”), and there’s a new ban on “voluminous outfits, in particular those with a large train,” according to the official charter.

And the last-minute change is complicating things for some A-listers, including Halle Berry.

“I had an amazing dress by [Gaurav] Gupta to wear tonight, and I cannot wear it because the train’s too big,” the Oscar winner, who is a festival jury member this year, said at a news conference, per Reuters.

“I had to make a pivot. But the nudity part I do think is probably also a good rule,” she added.

Berry was spotted on the opening ceremony red carpet in a dramatic (but decidedly not voluminous) Jacquemus gown. The look featured a halter neckline and bold black-and-white stripes, along with a playful pink ruffle in the back.

The star was joined by fellow jury members Jeremy Strong, director Payal Kapadia, filmmaker Hong Sangsoo, actor Alba Rohrwacher, writer Leïla Slimani, documentarist Dieudo Hamadi and filmmaker Carlos Reygadas, with Juliette Binoche overseeing as president.

While Berry, 58, may have toned down her look, she’s not known for subtlety on the red carpet.

Just last week, the “John Wick” actress was one of the most daringly dressed at the 2025 Met Gala, wearing a striped and sequined gown by LaQuan Smith that showed large swaths of skins and seemed one step away from a wardrobe malfunction.

It’s a good thing Berry ditched her original opening ceremony dress, because the festival released a statement threatening harsh penalties against those who disregard its new rules.

“This year, the Cannes Film Festival has made explicit in its charter certain rules that have long been in effect,” the memo said, per Variety.

“The aim is not to regulate attire per se, but to prohibit full nudity on the red carpet, in accordance with the institutional framework of the event and French law.”

The festival “reserves the right to deny access to individuals whose attire could obstruct the movement of other guests or complicate seating arrangements in the screening rooms.”

This isn’t the first time Cannes has cracked down on dressing guidelines; the organizers have previously singled out women who won’t wear high heels and men who dress “too colorful.”