What did Oprah Winfrey say about Drew Barrymore caressing her arm? Media mogul comes to the actress’ defense

Oprah Winfrey, the American talk show host and television producer, has defended Drew Barrymore after she received backlash for her physical affection toward the media mogul at her show on December 12, 2023.

As per Fox News, Oprah spoke to media outlets on Wednesday, December 13, after the episode aired. She said,

"I was actually comforted by the stroking of the arm. I was not uncomfortable at all. I've never seen her do that, but I thought it was endearing."

During the show, Winfrey and Barrymore, as two seasoned talk show hosts, discussed the importance of crowd interaction, as per E! News. Clips of the preview went viral, where the Charlie's Angels actress appeared to be stroking Oprah's arm and holding her hand as they talked. Netizens were complaining that Drew was invading her guest's personal space.

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Oprah Winfrey defends Drew Barrymore’s interview after backlash

Oprah Winfrey started her career as a news anchor in Baltimore in 1976. She was offered her television show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, in 1984 which became one of the most successful talk shows in history. The talk show aired nationally,for 25 seasons, from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, and made Winfrey a well-known figure worldwide.

She appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show on December 12, 2023. As the interview went on, the host appeared hold Oprah's hand tightly close to her chin, as per Page Six. They were discussing interactions with the studio audience. Drew said,

"Something that I learned about you, because I didn’t know this detail, was that you would spend time with the audience outside of the show you were filming."

Oprah Winfrey agreed with Barrymore and said the interaction was "necessary." The media mogul elaborated while gesturing with her hands - one of which was still held on to by Barrymore:

"My crew used to be like, ‘Oh my God, how much time you should go spend talking to that audience?'"

Netizens criticized Barrymore online for constantly caressing Winfrey's arm and holding the other during the show. Oprah Winfrey was stopped by Papparazzi and media outlets the next day and asked about her thoughts on the backlash the actress received, as per E! News.

When a reporter asked if she felt uncomfortable by Drew, she denied the allegation and said she felt comforted by the host stroking her arm. She quipped,

"Drew is terrific, and I love that she is always herself. I went home and told Stedman, ‘You’ve gotta stroke my arm. Stedman, I need to be stroked on the arm.'"

Oprah Winfrey joked that she wishes her longtime partner, Stedman Graham, would follow Barrymore’s example, as per Page Six.

During the interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, Oprah praised Drew Barrymore for running the daytime talk show without an audience during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said,

"That’s why this is so hard to do without an audience, and I was complimenting you on the fact that you got through it without an audience because it’s almost — because you’re not getting their energy. It’s their energy. It’s their feedback. It’s understanding whether whatever you’re saying is connecting."

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Drew Barrymore is known to be welcoming and enthusiastic while hosting her show. She was previously seen holding hands with Brooke Shields and kneeling with Chloe Bailey in separate episodes from her show.

The Drew Barrymore Show is currently in its 4th season and has aired 745 episodes, as per Fox News. It is distributed by CBS Media Ventures and available on Apple TV and Paramount Plus.