Leighton Meester breaks silence on viral Ariana Grande interaction on Critics Choice Awards

Leighton Meester has finally spoken about the viral moment with Ariana Grande at Critics Choice Awards.

During the January ceremony, The Wicked star was spotted telling Meester, “Love you so much. Wow, wow wow” after their run-in at the red carpet.

The clip later went viral after Meester was spotted repeating the phrase “Wow, wow, wow” while laughing, which sparked speculations that she was making fun of Grande.

Now, weeks after the incident, Meester has clarified the misunderstanding while speaking to her former Gossip Girl co-star Penn Badgley on Podcrushed.

She explained that she misheard Grande talking about her emotional moment when her husband Adam Brody won an award last year, in a poking way.

"I was with Kate, [my publicist]," Meester recalled of the first meeting at the Critics Choice Awards. "And [Ariana] said something to me. And then Kate turns around, and we both heard that [Ariana said], 'Hi, I love you. Wah, wah, wah."

"I couldn't hear her. She was, like, 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.' Like, I thought that would be something she would do. And so I was like, 'Oh, my God, that's cute and funny.'"

Later she realized her confusion and clarified her reaction to Grande during their another run-in next week.

"Turns out she didn't say that," Meester recalled, "And then I saw her, like, the next week, and I was like, "I have to tell you, like, I thought [you said that]."

Meester added, "And she's like, 'You thought I said, 'wah, wah, wah?' That's so funny.' And I was like, 'No, it's an old person not being able to hear.' Like, that is so embarrassing."