Times Drew Barrymore Made Her Talk Show Guests Uncomfortable

Drew Barrymore has been entertaining viewers with her eponymous talk show since 2020, and she's had everyone from Adam Sandler to Lucy Liu on as guests. As an A-list star herself, it's no wonder Barrymore can pull in top-name celebrities, as many are her close friends and past co-stars. Perhaps that's why the "Never Been Kissed" star feels so comfortable getting up close and personal with them — quite literally. In her interviews, Barrymore has a habit of invading her guests' personal space to the point where it makes viewers cringe.

One of Barrymore's most awkward interviews was with Oprah Winfrey, where she proceeded to grab her hand and caress her arm for an excruciatingly long time, as shared by Global TV on Facebook. "I like Drew but I can't stand how close she sits to people," a fan commented. Winfrey defended the touching by telling TMZ that she wasn't skeeved out by her fellow talk show host and stated, "I was actually comforted by the stroking of the arm." Perhaps the media mogul was just being magnanimous, but that was just one of the many times Barrymore crossed boundaries on television.

Martha Stewart may have made her name as a homemaker, but only after earning a living on Wall Street before the fame. That means she's tough as nails, which Drew Barrymore apparently underestimated. During her interview with the "Meatless" author, Barrymore asked, "What makes you soft and gooey?" She then proceeded to bite her fingertip suggestively as she listened to Stewart explain that she liked to be treated well. As the talk show host leaned in, Stewart gently pushed her away and told her, "You're the wrong gender."

Former "Real Housewives of New York City" star Bethenny Frankel took to TikTok to share her thoughts on the cringe-worthy interview. "I can't. I tried, but I can't because what makes Martha Stewart soft and gooey is Ghirardelli chocolate brownies, her pre-prison net worth, and getting Drew Barrymore's paw off her back because Martha Stewart is not touchy-feely, nor soft and gooey," she laughed. A fan commented, "That clip made me want to crawl out of my skin." Another wrote, "Drew gets way too cozy what the hell is she on?"

Drew Barrymore is known for her unconventional interviewing styles, so it wasn't surprising to have her guest Julia Fox do her makeup during their chat on "The Drew Barrymore Show." What was off-putting, however, was when Fox opened up about being homeless and Barrymore asked her — out of nowhere — if she ever considered having a fashion show. When the model confirmed that she had one in the works, the "Poison Ivy" star suddenly jumped up and ran off the set. "Wait, where is she going? Is this normal? Does she always do this?" a perplexed Fox asked. She then proceeded to banter awkwardly with the audience until her host returned.

The reason for Barrymore's brief disappearance was explained when she returned dressed in a getup similar to Fox's bold ensembles. "You look amazing," Fox gushed, clearly glad she didn't have to carry on the rest of her segment solo. "This is what happens when you have bad writers," a fan commented.

Drew Barrymore had Kamala Harris on her show in April 2024, during which the vice president shared that her stepkids called her "Momala" on "The Drew Barrymore Show." As she reflected on her role as their parental figure and navigating life as a step-parent, Barrymore made things weird. "That's a great segue to say that I keep thinking in my head that we all need a mom. I've been thinking that we really all need a tremendous hug in the world right now, but in our country, we need you to be 'Momala' of the country," she stated earnestly. As Harris nodded and tried to find her words, Barrymore insisted, "We need a great protector."

A user shared a clip of the interview on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, "I'm dying man lmao." A fan commented, "I have never seen Kamala trying to escape her own skin more." Barrymore later opened up to "The Paley Center for Media" about fearing she'd hurt the veep's rep with her interview. "That's the scariest conversation I've done on the entire show's history," she stated. At the time, Barrymore had no idea that Harris would soon run for POTUS, and she shared, "I was like, 'What if I do one thing that's goofy and she plays along, and I've led her down a bad path?' That was making me so sick to my stomach." The Momala comment was definitely "goofy," as she put it, and it's apparent many viewers thought so as well.

Part of the reason viewers have to avert their eyes during Drew Barrymore's talk show is because of her gushing personality. When Brooke Shields first walked out during an April 2023 episode, the "50 First Dates" star immediately got emotional. "Don't start," Shields told her, holding up a finger. Barrymore was somehow able to curb her tears, and when the two sat down on the sofa the host started inching as close to Shields as possible.

A Reddit user couldn't help but share, "I get that Drew Barrymore has this thing about pouring out her emotions, but she doesn't seem to understand boundaries, and watching her interview with Brooke Shields was hella crazy." The poster continued, "Drew was ranting and raving and crying and Brooke looked super uncomfortable and not knowing what the hell was going on. Her face while Drew was going off was PRICELESS!! By the time Drew called Ali Wentworth in, you could tell Brooke was relieved and she didn't have to share the sofa with this crazy loon just by herself." A viewer agreed, "I truly think Drew Barrymore is a mess and tries [way too] hard to be relatable. Making a guest's appearance about you and your baggage is unprofessional and maybe it appeals to her fanbase, it's just cringeworthy."

There are countless memes out there of Drew Barrymore being a close talker — and for good reason. As shared by "The Drew Barrymore Show," Valerie Bertinelli joined Barrymore and Ross Mathews for an April 22 episode, during which they sat at a table rather than the usual sofa. As the "Hot in Cleveland" star started talking about her then-boyfriend, Barrymore inched her face close to Bertinelli's and stared at her the whole time.

Someone must have said something to Barrymore about her lack of personal space as she told ET a few months later, "I'll try to practice physical distance, which is not my strong point. Do you know how hard the pandemic was for me? I was alone in a studio by myself. I like to be around people," she exclaimed. The mom of two added that she's aware some of her guests may not like the physical overload and stated, "I'm sorry to those people." Hey, at least Barrymore is finally showing some self-awareness, and it remains to be seen whether she'll practice some restraint moving forward.