AmfAR Gala Cannes 2023: Meet the Celebrities

At a fundraiser, Coco Rocha, Rebel Wilson and Bebe Rexha revealed the least glamorous thing about the film festival.

The amfAR Gala in Cannes, France is perhaps the only social event to rival the Met Gala. Organized in the vast Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc during the Cannes Film Festival, the event raises funds for AIDS research. As guests were repeatedly called back throughout the evening of May 25, H.I.V. is not extinct (about 38 million people were living with the virus in 2021).

So many models and actors showed up that the red carpet (the one was actually blue) lasted over three hours. Some skipped the photographers outright, showing up in late fashion.

Orlando Bloom was spotted in the bathroom queue (yes, even celebrities have to wait in line). Lucien Laviscount (Alfie in "Emily in Paris") showed up at his table after starters, accompanied by actor Aidan Walsh, a close friend. ("I wasn't at 'Bridgerton'," Laviscount said with a laugh.)

They started drinking wine, provided by Gerard Bertrand, a French winemaker who made Hampton Water for Jon Bon Jovi and one of the most expensive rosés in the world, before moving on to tequila shots. A handle has been placed on each table for convenience. It was free, unlike phone chargers, which could be brought to your place for 150 euros ($160).

ImageQueen Latifah hosted the amfAR Gala, an event that raises funds for AIDS research.Credit...Ryan Emberley

Queen Latifah hosted the event, which opened with a performance by Gladys Knight. Later that evening, Adam Lambert sang "Who Wants to Live Forever" in dedication to Tina Turner. Simon de Pury auctioned off items including a luxury sports car and a painting of an 11-year-old child.

The festivities continued until the early morning hours with participants dancing under the stars overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. In the interviews edited below, a few of them accurately answered questions about the Cannes Film Festival, the "Succession" and the debt ceiling.

Coco Rocha

Model

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">What's the least glamorous thing in Cannes?

People think that you arrive on those gorgeous red carpets, and you've been drinking champagne hair and makeup, but the logistics can be very stressful and a bit crazy. We even have to worry about things like, Do we have the tickets?

ImageWhen we asks her to provide words of wisdom for the debt ceiling negotiation, Coco Rocha replied, "How does money work?" world, what would it be?

I've been a model for 20 years, and especially early in my career, mental health was not a conversation. I know we talk a lot more about mental health now, but I want us to talk even more about why it's okay to feel the way we are.