“People have to warn me, they’re like, ‘Back off a little bit.’ And I’m like, ‘Why?'” Barrymore said while sitting down with Wicked star, Cynthia Erivo.
Drew Barrymore has become known for her touchiness on her eponymous talk show — but not everyone’s a fan.
During Tuesday’s all-new episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the Charlie’s Angels actress admitted that she’s been warned to “back off” during her interviews with celebs.
“People have to warn me, they’re like, ‘Back off a little bit.’ And I’m like, ‘Why?'” Barrymore said.
The admission came while chatting with Cynthia Erivo about the Wicked star’s touchy-feely rapport with co-star Ariana Grande during their press run for the film.
@thedrewbarrymoreshow @Cynthia Erivo on her connection with her @Wicked Movie co-star @arianagrande 💚 Tune in next Tuesday for more! #cynthiaerivo #wickedmovie #arianagrande #drewbarrymore ♬ original sound – thedrewbarrymoreshow
“Is it true that she is as touchy?” Barrymore asked Erivo about the pop star before discussing her own habits.
Erivo said she’s now “used to” Grande’s constant physical touch, to the point she said, “if it’s not like, connected, I’m like, ‘What’s wrong? What’s happening? Where are you?'”
She added, “We walk hand in hand very often. Like, if we’re not walking hand in hand, we’ll find each other somewhere.”
The 37-year-old Harriet alum also said she thinks people are “afraid” of physical touch and equate it too much with romantic intimacy.
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“I think we assume that physical connection can only be romantic,” she said, to which Barrymore agreed.
Erivo also explained how she and Grande communicate with touch.
“Sometimes you can’t say anything and you’re in a room and you’re like, it’s just a squeeze of a hand. And that sometimes is how she and I communicate,” she said. “We might be talking to someone, or I might need to communicate something to her and it’s just a squeeze of a hand or a pinch of the finger. Or a hug.”
Erivio said it’s a dynamic that works for their relationship, adding, “However we need to communicate is how we need to communicate. And I think we don’t give enough credit to how we need to communicate with our friends physically.”
Barrymore, who often touches, hugs or holds hands while in conversation with her guests, added that she would like to see a world in which people “could all be more comfortable with physical touch.”
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And she did it with Erivo, too, welcoming the actress with a big hug before later holding hands with the Wicked star.
“I was just hugging you just now and I thought, ‘I am so lucky to embrace and actually physically be near someone who is breaking records,'” Barrymore told the actress, referencing the film’s box office success.
Erivo responded with that same physical touch the pair both know and love — by grabbing Barrymore’s hand.
See more from their sit-down below.
