When Abhishek Bachchan revealed facing sexist comments for walking Cannes red carpet with wife Aishwarya Rai

In a 2012 interview, Abhishek Bachchan was asked if he had ‘ever put restrictions on wife Aishwarya Rai’. The actor had then said that only a man, who was either ‘insecure’ or did not ‘trust her’ would do such a thing. Abhishek had then gone on to speak about how he was often asked about what ‘it feels to walk the red carpet with your wife at Cannes’, adding he found ‘this attitude to be chauvinistic’. Also read: When Aishwarya Rai defended Abhishek Bachchan from ‘unfair’ question on being overshadowed by his father and wife’s fame

Abhishek Bachchan also asked why Aishwarya could ‘attend all his events’, but he could not accompany his wife to support her. The actor slammed people, who thought that since he was the husband, he should not join his wife at her public appearances that were about her. In 2005, Aishwarya became the first Indian to open the Cannes Film Festival; since then she has been attending the high profile event almost every year, and is sometimes joined by Abhishek. Waking the red carpet for the first time after their April 2007 wedding, Aishwarya and Abhishek made an appearance together at Cannes Film Festival in May, 2007.

Abhishek told Filmfare in 2012, “If a man tries to restrain his wife, then there must be two reasons for it. Firstly, he’s insecure. Secondly, he doesn’t trust her. I am a secure person and have complete faith in my wife. Then why should I have any problem? And why just wife, if a man tries to restrain his girlfriend, mother or any girl, then either he’s insecure or he doesn’t trust them. And that’s not how I was brought up. My mother has been an actress and she has always been working. I’ve often been asked how it feels to walk the red carpet with your wife at Cannes. I find this attitude chauvinistic.”

The actor further said, “It means that you are the husband so how can you walk with her? Do you ever ask Aishwarya why she walks the red carpet with me at the premieres of my films? She attends all my events, but I cannot accompany her. That’s wrong. If my wife supports me, then it’s my duty to support her.”

Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai are parents to daughter Aaradhya Bachchan, who celebrated her 11th birthday last year. Aishwarya was last seen in Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022), while Abhishek was last seen in Breathe: Into The Shadows season 2 (2022).