Leighton Meester Addresses Viral Exchange with Ariana Grande at Critics Choice Awards 2026, Explains What Really Happened

Leighton Meester is clearing the air on her viral exchange with Ariana Grande at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards.

On the red carpet at the event last month, the two ladies crossed paths and Ariana could be heard saying, “Love you so much. Wow, wow wow” to Leighton as she walked in the opposite direction.

The camera then panned to Leighton, who repeated Ariana‘s “Wow, wow, wow” and then laughed.

After some fans thought that Leighton was mocking Ariana, the Gossip Girl actress is now explaining what really happened.

Keep reading to find out more…“I was with Kate [my publicist]. And [Ariana] said something to me,” Leighton recalled on the new episode of Penn Badgley‘s Podcrushed podcast. “And then Kate turns around, and we both heard that [Ariana said], ‘Hi, I love you. Wah, wah, wah.’”

Leighton thought that Ariana was poking some fun at her for crying over husband Adam Brody‘s win at the awards show the year before, since she and her publicist were just talking about it before Ariana walked by.

“I couldn’t hear her. She was, like, walking away. And I was like, ‘Oh, she’s kind of a comedy queen. She’s just being funny.’ Like, ‘I love you. Wah, wah, wah.’ Like, I thought that would be something she would do,” Leighton explained. “And so I was like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s cute and funny.’”

As it turns out, Leighton had misheard Ariana.

“Turns out she didn’t say that. And then I saw her, like, the next week, and I was like, ‘I have to tell you, like, I thought [you said that],’” Leighton recalled. “And she’s like, ‘You thought I said wah, wah, wah? That’s so funny.’ And I was like, ‘No, it’s an old person not being able to hear.’ Like, that is so embarrassing.”

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