Drew Barrymore went viral on Tuesday after clips surfaced on X of the “cringe” interview she did with Oprah Winfrey.
During the “The Drew Barrymore Show,” the 48-year-old host sat down with Winfrey as the two discussed the necessity of a live studio audience for daytime talk shows. Barrymore then reached out to hold Winfrey’s hand and held it close to her face as they continued talking. At one point, while she was holding Winfrey’s hand, Barrymore also started stroking Winfrey’s arm.
crying at oprah talking with her hands while she and drew are holding hands pic.twitter.com/QWi272iDIc
— Jordan (@itsjordanapps) December 12, 2023
When the clips surfaced on X and Instagram, fans commented that Oprah appeared to be trying to move her hand away and shift her body, calling it “difficult to watch” and “cringe.”
“You need to dial the touchy-feely neediness back like 10-fold,” one account posted.
“Drew is holding on too much,” another added. “Oprah is trying to release her hand from Drew’s grip. Drew is just too creepy and needy.”
While another said, “Oprah is clearly like ‘Girl, give me my hand.'”
What is Drew Barrymore’s deal?? And why is she sitting here stroking Oprah on her talk show!?
— Lori Love (@thereallorilove) December 12, 2023
One account on X asked, “What is Drew Barrymore’s deal?? And why is she sitting here stroking Oprah on her talk show!?”
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TMZ caught up with Winfrey following the Barrymore interview and asked the former TV host about the hand-holding and caressing.
Winfrey said she wasn’t uncomfortable with it, adding that she was “actually comforted by the stroking of the arm.” She then joked that she told her longtime partner, Stedman Graham, he needed to start stroking her arm that way.
Winfrey said she’d never seen Barrymore do that before but thought it was an “endearing” action.
Barrymore has been criticized in the past for her interviewing style. In March, the talk show host faced a backlash when she got down on her knees and knelt with trans-identifying male influencer Dylan Mulvaney.