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Celebs’ Bellybuttons Are the Breakout Stars of the Cannes Film Festival

And the Palme d’Or for plunging necklines goes to...

Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

PublishedMay 22, 2026, 5:42 PM EDT

UpdatedMay 22, 2026, 5:42 PM EDT

Updated May 22, 2026, 5:42 PM EDTPublished May 22, 2026, 5:42 PM EDT

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Despite the strict dress code, some celebrities are finding loopholes to show serious skin at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

The Festival de Cannes is one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious film festivals, bringing together international talent and the most anticipated films each year. Over its eight-decade history, the festival has evolved into a hub for the entertainment industry’s most glamorous and, at times, its most gaudy.

To uphold the event’s esteemed nature, the organizers have set a few restrictions on attire: no voluminous garments, no sneakers, and no nudity.

While celebrities sometimes toy with the dress code with high slits, this year, plunging necklines that drop to the stomach seemed to be all the rage.

These are the stars with the most boundary-testing, belly-button-flaunting gowns of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

Renata Notni

Renata Notni, 31, made her belly button a focal point of her look on the red carpet for the film The Black Ball.

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The Mexican actress wore a white long-sleeved Tom Ford dress with a high mid-slit and a plunging neckline that dropped so low that it went straight passed her navel.

She accessorized with silver pumps, patterned hoop earrings, and a shining Bvlgari bracelet.

Geena Davis

Screen icon Geena Davis, 70, made a splash when she stepped on the purple carpet before hosting the amfAR Cannes Gala at the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc. (The charity event is not an official part of the film festival, but an independent fundraiser for the Foundation for AIDS Research attended by many festival attendees and competitors.)

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Davis wore a voluminous white gown with a plunging neckline that fell to her belly button. The off-the-shoulder silhouette further emphasized the daringly wide, deep V-cut, while the draped skirt rested on her hips like a Greek goddess’s overskirt.

The Thelma & Louise actress accessorized with a pair of dangling silver earrings.

Tara Reid

American actress Tara Reid, 50, also took creative liberties with her outfit choice at the amfAR Gala Cannes. The American Pie star wore a sheer Le Thanh Hoa gown that exposed her nude underwear.

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Her plunging neckline revealed her cleavage and reached all the way down to a wide, patterned silver belt on her hips.

She accessorized with silver open-toe heels, stacked silver bracelets, and a diamond necklace.

To add color, Reid wore bright pink lipstick and light purple nail polish.

Bella Hadid

Model Yolanda Hadid’s supermodel daughter Bella Hadid, 29, is often referred to as the “Queen of Cannes” for her fashionable red carpet appearances.

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On May 20, she arrived at the red carpet for De Gaulle: Tilting Iron in a crocheted Schiaparelli gown. The plunging neckline reached far below her navel.

The gown was inspired by a similar navel-exposing Emilio Pucci dress worn by style icon Jane Birkin for the Union of the Artists gala in 1969.

Heidi Klum

German supermodel Heidi Klum, 52, just barely covered her navel.

On May 21, the Project Runway host attended the amfAR Gala Cannes in a voluminous black Sophie Couture gown.

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The strapless, corseted dress had glittering silver lace at the front, making the V-shaped neckline—which reached beyond Klum’s belly button—tactically appear more modest.

Emma Mackey

Actress Emma Mackey’s white Louis Vuitton gown did not have a plunging neckline, but her navel still had a peek-a-boo moment.

The gown had a low turtle-neck collar that opened into an A-shaped cutout exposing her cleavage and belly button.

The 30-year-old British-French Sex Education actress accessorized with square diamond-stud earrings.

Cindy Mello

Brazilian model Cindy Mello, 31, stunned in a strapless sequined silver gown with a deep V-shaped neckline.

The social media star paired the Sophie Couture dress with a feather boa, a statement diamond necklace, and silver stud earrings from Messika.

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Roosa RahkonenReporter, The Looker

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