What Barbra Streisand Said in Her Heartfelt Message to Cannes After Missing Honor
Barbra Streisand was set to receive her honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, May 23, but a knee injury kept her away.
That didn't stop the two-time Oscar winner, 84, from sending a video message to the prestigious event in France, in time for the ceremony where she was honored in absentia during the closing portion of this year's festival.
Variety reports that her statuette was brought on stage Saturday by renowned French actress Isabelle Huppert, who gave a speech that highlighted Streisand's achievements in film, music and on the stage and also her support for the LGBTQ+ community and religious and ethnic minorities.
Then came Streisand's message, following a video reel that showed clips from hit films such as A Star Is Born.
"In a chaotic and unstable world that seems to fracture more and more each day, it is reassuring to see the captivating films presented at this festival by artists from many countries," Streisand said in part, per Cannes' recent Instagram upload. "Cinema has this magical ability to bring us together, to open our hearts and our minds. And that is what we truly celebrate in Cannes. And I am so proud to be part of this community. So thank you very much for this honor, and long live cinema!"
"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," Streisand had said in a statement last Sunday, May 17. "But I am deeply honored to receive the honorary Palme d'Or and had so been looking forward to celebrating the remarkable films of the 79th edition."
The actress added that she had been looking forward not only to accepting the honor, but also to reconnecting with fellow artists and returning to France: "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."
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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 5:59 PM.