Actress Leighton Meester appeared to mock Ariana Grande backstage at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, according to viewers.
The awards, which honor the highest achievements in film and television from 2025, were presented on Sunday (January 4) in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler for the fourth consecutive year.
Viewers claimed that Leighton Meester subtly mocked Ariana Grande at the Critics Choice Awards
Image credits: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Some of the biggest names in Hollywood attended the ceremony, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ethan Hawke, and Benicio del Toro.
One Battle After Another took home the evening’s top honor, Best Picture, with its creator, Paul Thomas Anderson, also winning Best Director.
Timothée Chalamet won Best Actor for Marty Supreme, while Jessie Buckley picked up the Best Actress award for Hamnet.
As always, what unfolded behind the scenes attracted as much attention as the televised show itself.
Among the moments that went viral on social media was an interaction between Ariana Grande, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Wicked: For Good, and Leighton Meester.
A video shows the We Can’t Be Friends singer expressing her excitement after spotting Leighton from across the room before the ceremony.
A viral video shows Ariana reacting enthusiastically to seeing Leighton, prompting Leighton to echo Ariana’s words
Image credits: enews
“I love you so much!” Ariana told Leighton at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. “Wow, wow, wow!”
Leighton simply replied by appearing to imitate Ariana’s interjection, saying back, “Wow, wow, wow!”
Her tone led many netizens to believe she was making fun of the Grammy winner.
“Did you guys see the way Leighton lowkey mocked Ariana’s wow??” one viewer asked on Reddit.
“I don’t trust people that say ‘I love you’ that easily,” shared someone else.
“I feel like it’s so weird as a celebrity to be like, LOVE YOU SO MUCH to another celeb like this, especially one who’s a little more serious like Leighton,” added another.
The moment became one of the most discussed celebrity interactions of the night
Image credits: enews
“I do believe she is a genuinely huge fan of Leighton because she was a huge fan of Gossip Girl, but even if that’s the case she says ‘I love you’ to EVERYONE that it’s lost any sincerity or meaning,” read another comment.
Some claimed Ariana’s reaction to seeing the Gossip Girl alum was overly exaggerated or even sarcastic. “She’s acting like this is her first week in Hollywood after doing nothing but watching tv from a cave her entire life.”
Wow, wow, wow. 🤩 This moment between Ariana Grande, Leighton Meester, and Adam Brody has changed us for good. #CriticsChoice #AwardsSeason pic.twitter.com/I3bpqrdLvZ
— E! News (@enews) January 4, 2026
“Always with the feet shuffling, the oldest toddler on earth,” wrote a separate critic.
“That ‘wowwowwow’ she gave to Leighton sounded SO sarcastic,” one viewer said.
Ariana had made a post about Gossip Girl, Leighton’s teen drama series
Before the ceremony, Ariana spoke about Wicked, one of the biggest projects of her career, saying she was finally ready to turn the page and focus on her music.
“I think we’re really proud of what we’ve done, and it was an amazing chapter,” she told E! News while reflecting on saying farewell to her character, Glinda. “And now we’ve given it to the world and get to let them have it and enjoy it. It feels peaceful.”
The 32-year-old is preparing to embark on her Eternal Sunshine Tour, marking her first concert trek in six years.
Ariana’s tour of her 2024 album is expected to kick off in June and include 41 shows across North America and the UK.
“I’ve been working on the set list for months now. It’s in a good place, but we’ll never know until we get into the rehearsals—which are starting very soon—and we put things on their feet if it’ll make sense or not,” she said.
The tour will be far smaller than her last trek, which spanned 10 months with nearly 100 dates, as per Billboard.
The singer is preparing for her Eternal Sunshine Tour, her first in six years
Image credits: manthony783
The pop star explained that scaling back the number of shows was necessary for both her health and her plans to balance music with upcoming acting projects.
“Very silly of you all to assume that just because i have my hands full with many things that i plan to abandon singing & music … !!!” she wrote on Instagram last July.
“It may not look exactly like it did before but I much prefer how it looks in my head … so I’m working on a plan to sing for you all next year. even if it’s just for a little.”
Ariana is set to star as a voice actress in an animated film based on Dr. Seuss’ final book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! The project will be helmed by Jon M. Chu, who directed Wicked.
She will also star in Focker In-Law, a new film in the Meet the Parents franchise, and appear in the thirteenth season of the horror anthology series American Horror Story.
Viewers shared their thoughts on Ariana and Leighton’s backstage moment
