Wait, did Leighton Meester really mock Ariana Grande in that viral video? Here’s what’s going on

So, a video of Gossip Girl star, Leighton Meester, copying Ariana Grande on the Critics Choice Awards red carpet has gone viral, and people are now wondering: Did Leighton actually mock Ariana, or is this just people reading too much into it? So, here’s what’s going on.

The whole thing went down on Sunday, 4 January at the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards. Ariana Grande was there, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for playing Glinda in Wicked: For Good. She was walking into the venue when she spotted Leighton and her husband, Adam Brody, who was up for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for Nobody Wants This.

The clip, first shared by E! News, shows Ariana lighting up, putting her hand on her chest, and saying, “Love you so much,” followed by a cheerful, “Wow, wow, wow.” Then Leighton turns to a woman beside her, repeats “Wow, wow, wow” in a kind of deadpan way, and laughs.

So, was Leighton Meester actually mocking Ariana Grande?

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

As soon as the video hit X and TikTok, people went a bit wild. Some thought Leighton was subtly mocking Grande, with one post saying, “Did she just mock Ariana saying wow?” and another saying, “The way they are actively laughing at her is sending me.”

But loads of people defended Leighton. Longtime Gossip Girl viewers pointed out that it sounded a bit like Blair Waldorf’s famous “Well, well, well,” and that she might have just been repeating Grande’s words playfully. One person said, “She wasn’t mocking, she was charmed and repeating it because Ari’s delivery was so over-the-top, it was kind of cute.”

So, do they even have beef with each other?

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A post shared by Ariana Grande News Network (@arianagbnewsnet)

Well, not really. According to Just Jared, Leighton has actually praised Ariana before, going back to 2013, and they have been friends for years now. She also recently followed Ariana on Instagram.

Although the viral video has now had over 9.9 million views, there’s basically no proof that Leighton meant to mock Ariana. It looks more like a brief, slightly awkward but ultimately friendly moment between two people. Whether Leighton was channelling Blair or just responding in a playful way, it seems more likely that it was cute rather than mean.

Everyone will probably be watching for any follow-up interactions, but for now, it’s safe to say that sometimes a “wow” is just a “wow.”

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