Drew Barrymore Addresses Criticism Over Her Touchiness With Talk Show Guests

Drew Barrymoreis through accepting limits 'cause someone says they're so.

The Drew Barrymore Showhost revealed that she's been warned by people around her to temper down her signature touchiness and the physical closeness she tends to inhabit during her interviews with guests.

When Cynthia Erivowas a guest on her show Dec. 10, Drew asked her if it's true that her Wickedcostar Ariana Grandeis just "as touchy" as she is. 

"I’m so touchy!" she explained while sitting close to the Tony winner. "People have to warn me. They’re like, ‘Back off a little bit.’ I’m like, ‘Why?'"

Cynthia expressed that she had no issue with Drew's penchant for holding hands.

"I’m the welcoming Capricorn," she laughed. "It's like, ‘I love you. You can touch.'"

In fact, the 37-year-old has grown so used to sharing a physical connection with Ariana that, when they're not doing so, she feels as though something is missing from their bond.

"If [we're] not connected, I'm like, ‘What's wrong? What's happening? Where are you?’ You know what I mean?" Cynthia shared. "We walk hand-in-hand very often. Like, if we're not walking hand-in-hand, we'll find each other somewhere."

Drew agreed while revealing how her relationship status adds to her feelings about the topic.

"That’s how I want life to be,"the 49-year-old noted. "Because physical connection… I'm single. I'm not dating anyone. I don't have that in my life, but I don't know how I would ever hold back from holding hands, hugging, snuggling."

The duo then embarked on a conversation pondering why physical touching can often be such a divisive topic.

“I think we get a bit afraid of physical connection," Cynthia posited. "I think we assume that physical connection can only be romantic."

And, in some cases—like her friendship with Ariana—something as small as the "7 Rings" singer's viral finger hold can be exactly what's needed between friends.

"Sometimes you can't say anything and you're in a room and…it's just a squeeze of the hand," the Harrietactress explained. "And that's sometimes how [Ariana] and I communicate, we might be talking to someone, or I might need to communicate something to her and it's just a squeeze of the hand or just a pinch of a finger or a hug."

It's a sentiment that Drew wholeheartedly agreed with, telling her, "I think if we could all be more comfortable with physical touch, I would like that world."

Cynthia isn't the only celebrity to defend Drew's proclivity for creating physical intimacy with her talk show guests, either.

Oprah Winfreysaid that she was "not uncomfortable at all" when Drew controversially stroked the daytime TV legend's arm during a Dec. 2023 interview.

"I've never seen her do that, but I thought it was endearing," she told TMZafter the interview went viral. "I was actually comforted by the stroking of the arm."

"I thought it was really great," she added. "Drew is terrific, and I love that she is always herself."

Keep reading for more about Drew.

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