NEWSLeighton Meester Defends Awkward Encounter With Ariana Grande After Being Accused of 'Mocking' the 'Wicked' Star: 'So Embarrassing'
Leighton Meester defended her awkward encounter with Ariana Grande after being accused of 'mocking' the 'Wicked' star.
Feb. 18 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Leighton Meester insisted there’s no bad blood between herself and Ariana Grande.
After the Gossip Girl alum, 39, was accused of “mocking” the pop star on the red carpet at the Critics Choice Awards on January 4, she addressed the viral encounter.
Leighton Meester seemingly mocked Ariana Grande.
“I was with Kate [my publicist], and [Ariana] said something to me. And then Kate turns around, and we both heard that she goes, ‘Hi, I love you. Wah, wah, wah.’ I couldn’t hear her,” Meester recalled on the Wednesday, February 18, episode of the “Podcrushed” podcast. “She was 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.’ I thought that would be something she would do. And so I was like, ‘Oh, my God, that’s cute and funny.’ And then, turns out, she didn’t say that.”
Leighton Meester guest-starred on the 'Podcrushed' podcast.
The Nobody Wants This star set the record straight with Grande after the misunderstanding.
“I saw her the next week, and I was like, ‘I have to tell you, I thought [you said that].’ And she’s like, ‘You thought I said, wah wah wah? That’s so funny,’” she explained. “And I was like, ‘No, it’s an old person not being able to hear.’ That is so embarrassing.”
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Leighton Meester thought Ariana Grande was saying something she wasn't on the red carpet.
Although Meester confirmed there was no foul play, fans were not convinced.
“She got caught making fun of her and is trying to cover her a-- lol just own it — Ari tried to take her man. We get it,” one person claimed on X.
“Saying you’re old at 39 is kinda weird but ok,” another person pointed out.
Ariana Grande gushed over Leighton Meester at the Critics Choice Awards.
The stars initially went viral after Grande, 32, shouted "I love you so much!" at Meester and her husband, Adam Brody. The singer appeared to be saying “Wow, wow, wow,” and the actress allegedly teased her by repeating the same words back. The video went viral on TikTok, with one repost receiving over 2.9 million likes and 21.5 million views.
One social media user asked at the time, "Now why she make fun of Ari's 'wow' and laugh with the staff??? rude???"
Another noted, "Leighton making fun of Ariana saying 'wow' um..."
Both Leighton Meester and Ariana Grande attended the 2026 Critics Choice Awards.
Others, however, came to Meester’s defense.
"You can even tell how Ariana says that in a sarcastic way, cause it’s all part of the jokeee! she was not laughing at her, she was laughing WITH HER," one TikTok user wrote.
Another speculated, "Guys, it was a reference from Gossip Girl. Leighton was not being mean."
