Charlize Theron has reprimanded a French TV presenter after he kissed her female interpreter without permission.
The incident occurred during a promotional interview on Touche Pas A Mon Poste for the star's upcoming film Long Shot earlier this week.
During the interview, the programme’s host Cyril Hanouna walked over to Theron's interpreter Nadia and kissed her on the cheek before she pulled away.
Following the kiss, Theron responded with shock, stating: “Oh wow, maybe ask next time?”
The star’s co-star Seth Rogen, who was sat alongside her during the interview, also appeared uncomfortable during the incident and concurred with Theron’s comment, adding: “Yes”.
The clip of the interaction has been viewed more than 1.28m times on Twitter, where social media users have praised the actress for defending her interpreter and reminding Hanouna that consent is crucial before such an intimate interaction.
“Being an interpreter and a woman, I really appreciate what Charlize Theron said when the TV host kissed her interpreter out of the blue,” one woman wrote on Twitter.
Another said: “You are so damn right! Thank you Charlize.”
Others took to social media to criticise Hanouna’s behaviour, and question why the film stars agreed to go on the French show considering the presenter’s past problematic behaviour.
Hanouna previously faced backlash in 2017 for posting a fake advertisement on a gay dating site and then mocking respondents on air. The segment reportedly received more than 20,000 complaints from viewers.
“So I’m just wondering but when will Cyril Hanouna be fired from TPMP or when will his show be cancelled?!" commented one Twitter user.
"Because the fact that Charlize Theron had to let him know how consent works just baffles me… but to be honest he has been called out for his disgusting behaviour before…”
This is not the first time the actress has spoken publicly about the importance of consent and the impacts of the #MeToo movement, which has seen multiple women in Hollywood come forward with their stories of sexual misconduct.
During Dubai's Global Educations & Skills Forum in 2018, Theron said she is optimistic that the film and television industry will improve its outlook and reaction to issues surrounding sexual harassment and assault.
"And so I can definitely tell you that in my industry, hands down, people are thinking differently, they're talking differently, their awareness is at a level that it's never been before," she said. "And I just don't see how we can move backwards from that... we can only move forwards."
