America Ferrera was assaulted on the red carpet by ‘prankster’ journalist Vitalii Sediuk at the Cannes premiere of How To Train Your Dragon 2.

Vitalii Sediuk Sneaks Under America Ferrera's Dress

Ferrera, 30, reprises her role as Astrid in the animated sequel opening this summer, and was posing for a cast photo with Djimon Honsou, Cate Blanchett, Kit Harington and Jay Baruchel when the incident occurred. (The incident begins around the 1 minute mark.)

Sediuk, a Ukranian journalist known for his invasive prank style, jumped over the press barricade and scrambled to get his head under Ferrera’s dress. Ferrera was wearing a long gown with a tulle skirt from Georges Hobeika Couture and appears not to have noticed until security came and dragged him away.

Clearly upset, Ferrera shook off the trauma of the assault as Sediuk was dragged off the red carpet by four security men. Blanchett, Honsou, Harington and Baruchel could be seen comforting her and making sure she was all right to continue. Ferrera decided to keep a smile on her face and continued to pose for photos with the rest of the cast.

It is unclear what happened to Sediuk after he was removed from the event, but UsWeekly has reported that he was arrested. If he is, indeed, behind bars, it would not be the first time. In early 2013, Sediuk was arrested after he jumped up onstage during The Grammys, interrupting Adele, who had just won the award for Best Pop Solo Performance. Arrested for treadpassing, Seduik spent the night in jail and could have faced up to 6 months in prison.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 Cannes Premiere

The red carpet snafu aside, How To Train Your Dragon 2 was well received by critics at the Cannes Film Festival, with Variety critic Peter Debruge calling the film “the mother of all animated sequels.”

“One of the core strengths of the original film was the way it infused the dragons with personality, not just through the colorful, intricate character designs, but by making them relatable to household animals. HTTYD2 expands on this repertoire beautifully,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter’s Leslie Felperin.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 opens in theaters June 13.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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