Power star Omari Hardwick has been slammed over footage of him kissing Beyonce twice at the 50th NAACP Image Awards.

The 45-year-old actor was filmed embracing the singer, 37, kissing her on the right cheek and giving her a hug – before kissing her a second time.

Outraged viewers accused the married father-of-two of ‘getting too close for comfort’ and trying to kiss Beyonce on the lips.

Others dismissed the encounter as nothing more than an awkward moment.

Power star Omari Hardwick has been blasted for kissing Beyonce twice at the NAACP Image Award. Here, he goes in for the second kiss, which appears to catch the singer off-guard

The 45-year-old actor was filmed embracing the singer, 37, kissing her on the right cheek and giving her a hug (shown) before kissing her again

‘Second kiss was unnecessary and uncomfortable. Don’t do that again,’ tweeted one fan.

‘We women so often get touched, kissed, groped and poked in instances exactly like this (at an event, at work, etc). WE DON’T LIKE IT. It’s time to no longer let these moments of discomfort slide,’ they added.

Another posted: ‘First of all, that hug lingered a little too long! And then the kiss? His lips were so close to Beyoncé lips! Her face says it all. Listen every woman has been through this where a friend/acquaintance gets a little too close for comfort. Shame.’

A third wrote: ‘This is why the #metoo movement is important. No matter how famous and powerful a woman is, there will always be some … inappropriate man who feels like he has the right to take your manner and generosity as an invitation to make you uncomfortable.’

Beyonce, who took home the Entertainer of the Year award, brushed it off (pictured) – but fans lambasted the actor online

Seconds earlier, Hardwick posed for a photograph with her rapper husband Jay-Z (pictured)

Some Beyonce superfans – known as the Beehive – flooded Hardwick’s Instagram page with bee emoji’s.

Some viewers leaped to the defense of the Power actor, saying it was nothing more than an awkward moment.

One wrote: ‘People making a big deal out of the Omari Hardwick kissing Beyonce on the cheek while saying bye. He was being polite saying hi and bye. The timing was just awkward. Don’t make this a man crossing the line thing. Ya’ll out here really trying to make something out of nothing! #power.

Queen Bey: Beyonce collects NAACP Image Awards highest honor, the coveted Entertainer of the Year prize

She saluted her fellow nominees, using her speech to detail what made them all worthy winners

The embrace came before the former Destiny’s Child singer’s took to the stage to claim the Entertainer of the Year award.

She faced off against an intimidating bevy of artists and entertainers, including Black Panther’s star, Chadwick Boseman, its director, Ryan Coogler, If Beale Street Could Talk star Regina King, and basketball legend-in-the-making LeBron James.

Rather than a traditional thank-you speech, she celebrated each of her fellow nominees, using her time to detail what made them all worthy winners.