Leighton Meester defends exchange with Ariana Grande at Critics' Choice

Leighton Meester is clearing up the awkward exchange with Ariana Grande at the Critics Choice Awards in January. At the Jan. 4 show, Grande shouted “I love you so much! Wow, wow, wow,” while passing Meester, who replied, “Wah, wah, wah,” with a laugh. Some viewers thought Meester, 39, was mocking the 32-year-old, but Meester told the Podcrushed podcast she believed Grande was teasing her about crying when her husband Adam Brody won in 2025 for “Nobody Wants This.” She said she and her publicist Kate both misheard Grande, recalling, “And then Kate turns around, and we both heard that, ‘Hi, I love you.

Wah, wah, wah.’” Meester said she couldn’t hear clearly as Grande walked away and assumed the singer was being funny; she called the mistake “embarrassing.” After seeing Grande the following week she tried to explain, and Grande laughed, saying, “You thought I said wah, wah, wah?

That’s so funny.” The clip drew online backlash, with some commenters arguing the “wow wow wow” sounded mocking.

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