Ariana Grande faced two uncomfortable moments during red-carpet interviews at last night’s 82nd Golden Globe Awards, sparking outrage on social media.
The Wicked star was subjected to an awkward question about whether her grandmother was “still alive” during one interview.
In a separate exchange, Variety’s senior culture editor Marc Malkin drew criticism after pressuring Grande to sing on the red carpet, leading to widespread backlash from viewers online.
The actress maintained her composure throughout both incidents, handling the situations with grace.
During the first incident, Grande was discussing who she first called about her nomination when the interviewer abruptly asked if her grandmother was “still alive.”
Grande responded gracefully, confirming: “Yeah, my Nonna. She’s 99. Nonna was second and then yeah, Cynthia [Erivo] and my acting coach Nancy Banks, who I just called on the way over here.”
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo attended the Golden Globes, with Grande up for nomination for her role as Glinda
GETTY
The question was particularly jarring given that Grande’s close relationship with Nonna is well-documented, with Marjorie Grande even making history last year as the oldest person to chart on the Hot 100.
In the interaction with Variety’s Marc Malkin, the reporter asked Grande about what song she was listening to while preparing for the ceremony.
When Grande mentioned they “were all just giggling and talking,” Malkin pressed further, saying: “I want you to sing for me a little bit. I’ll sing with you.”
The awkward moment escalated when Malkin began singing Carole King’s You’ve Got A Friend whilst Grande had started performing One Short Day from Wicked.
The singer often shares sweet moments with her beloved grandmother
Grande handled the situation diplomatically, simply noting: “Okay, you’re there. I’m still in Oz,” before politely applauding Malkin’s attempt.
Social media users quickly expressed their outrage at both incidents, as one exclaimed on TikTok: “WHY WOULD THE INTERVIEWER ASK IF SHES STILL ALIVE.”
“Marc Malkin is so cringe. Stop making everyone uncomfortable by making them sing,” wrote one X user.
Another user added: “Marc Malkin’s so bad at this dude, I really feel like he’s on the same level as those TikTok influencer press junkets.”
A viral tweet that garnered over 900,000 views simply stated: “THIS IS SICK??????”
Grande attended the ceremony as a nominee for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Glinda in Wicked.
The singer pulled out all the stops so her Nonna could watch the film
The star made a striking appearance in a pale yellow gown from the Haute Couture S/S 1966 collection by Hubert de Givenchy, purchased from LILY et Cie.
During her red carpet interview, Grande revealed the dress was inspired by the yellow brick road from the film and noted it was “one of Glinda’s favorite colors”.
