Barbra Streisand will not attend the closing ceremony of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, May 23, and she gave a reason for it.
Streisand revealed she is recovering from a knee injury. The 84-year-old singer was set to accept an honourary Palme d’Or award in person, joining fellow honourees John Travolta and Peter Jackson. In a statement released May 17, Streisand expressed her disappointment at missing the milestone.
“On the advice of my doctors, as I continue recovering from a knee injury, I am sadly unable to attend the Festival de Cannes this year,” she said. “But I am deeply honoured to receive the honorary Palme d’Or and had so been looking forward to celebrating the remarkable films of the 79th edition.”
Streisand added that she had hoped to reconnect with colleagues and return to France, a country she has long cherished.
“While I regret that I can’t be there in person, I want to extend my warmest congratulations to all of the filmmakers from around the world whose extraordinary talent and creative vision are being celebrated this year,” she added.
Festival organisers Thierry Frémaux and Iris Knobloch issued their own statement, sending Streisand “warmest wishes for a prompt recovery.” Streisand’s last public appearance came at the 98th Academy Awards in March, where she performed a moving rendition of The Way We Were in tribute to her late costar Robert Redford.
Despite her absence, the Grand Théâtre Lumière will honour Streisand alongside Travolta and Jackson at Saturday’s closing ceremony.