Fake Psy parties with the stars at Cannes

Psy performing in Singapore. Photo/AP

A man from rural France impersonated South Korean Gangnam Style entertainer Psy at the Cannes Film Festival, eating, drinking and partying with the stars in Cannes for two days.

Psy "was spotted all over town, attending festival parties and events and posing for photos with festgoers and other celebrities," The Hollywood Reporter said on Thursday.

"But it turns out that the man was not Psy at all, but rather an imposter using his name and fame to get access to the festival."

The double was dressed exactly like Psy, with his trademark jackets and round sunglasses. He spent a day at the top-ranked Martinez beach restaurant and partied at night at the A-listers' Carlton hotel.

Those who fell victim to the con included Skyfall actress Naomie Harris, who tweeted an image of herself posing with him at a party thrown by luxury jewellers Chopard.

Who was the trickster?

According to La Montagne, a daily newspaper in France's remote Auvergne region, it was a 34-year-old Psy lookalike from Clermont-Ferrand called Denis Carre.

Carre, born in the small town of Blanzat, said he got hooked on Psy-chology last September when he was in a club in Dublin with his girlfriend, La Montagne reported.

"A crowd of people gathered around me, and the situation got totally out of control. We were only able to get out with the help of the bouncers. Then it happened again and again, to the point that the resemblance (with Psy) was causing problems in my private life," he said.

The original Psy appears to have been unfazed by the identity theft. He tweeted: "Seems like there's another ME at cannes... say Hi to him."

- AFP