Shanghai film festival: Go away, Sharon Stone

by Amy Judd | June 4, 2008 at 01:58 pm

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The backlash against Sharon Stone continues as the Shanghai International Film Festival said the American actress would not be welcome at this year's event.
She will really have to take care what she says in future, or maybe she should just stop talking completely for a while.

The 50-year-old "Basic Instinct" star provoked outrage in China after suggesting that the recent earthquake in central Sichuan province may have been the result of bad "karma" because of Beijing's rule in Tibet.

French fashion house Christian Dior dropped Stone from its Chinese ads after she made the comments in May during a Cannes Film Festival red-carpet interview.

Stone, who walked the red carpet in Shanghai last year, will not be invited back soon, Shanghai International Film Festival spokeswoman Tang Bing said Wednesday.

Tang said film festival organizers sent Stone a letter protesting her remarks and demanding an apology.

Stone has said she was "deeply sorry" for causing anguish and anger among Chinese people, and she offered to take part in quake relief efforts.

The Hollywood actress impressed festival organizers with her charity work and her appearance last year, and her comments came as a surprise, Tang said.

"She showed her affinity for the Chinese people and her affinity for Shanghai. She didn't say any bad things," said Tang.

The Shanghai festival is scheduled for June 14-22.