Not since Sinéad O’Connor ripped apart a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live had a photograph been torn with such scorn. Jennifer Connelly didn’t feel like sticking around an Astral Media-sponsored reception tied to her Toronto International Film Festival opening night premiere Creation. Astral president of television networks, John Riley, reacted from the stage by rending a picture of her: “This,” he proclaimed, “is my favourite former actress.”

The incident was reported by Amy Verner of The Globe and Mail, prompting Connelly to explain her decision to bail from the Roy Thomson Hall soirée, diverting from the film plug to tear up on cue.

“It was,” she explained, “the first anniversary of my father’s death.” How was the guy who runs The Movie Network and HBO Canada, a job that obviously requires being servile to Hollywood stars, going to top that one?

With the most melodramatic corporate retraction ever: “Clearly, I was unaware of Ms. Connelly’s personal situation,” offered Riley, “and, having lost my own father four months ago, I have great empathy for how difficult an anniversary such as this can be. I continue to be a tremendous fan of hers and hope that she will take my words and actions in the light-hearted spirit in which they were intended and not give this matter another minute of consideration.” Given more consideration, it turned out, was Connelly showing her red carpet reverence for film subject Charles Darwin by wearing a see-through dress.

But, just in case, her co-star spouse Paul Bettany affirmed to the Toronto Sun that it was actually his decision to split: “Anniversaries are big things and first anniversaries are huge, so you need to have time to think about those things. And then the day had run away with us and robbed her of it, and I wanted her to get a little bit of that back. And so I said, ‘I don’t think we should stay at the party. I think we should get home, and let you be on your own. And take your heels off.’ And we were advised that was absolutely fine as long as we came to do the press line and turn up at the party.”