National Hugging Day is the perfect time to show some love and affection, but some stars let their endearment get the better of them. From Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s New Year’s Eve photo-bombed embrace to Lady Gaga and Cher’s meaty moment, Molly Taylor rounds up more awkward celebrity hugs.
Getty (2); AP (1)
A day after announcing their pregnancy, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West celebrated the good news on New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas. The couple commemorated the start of 2013 with a joyous hug, but accidently made room for a photo bomber, resulting in an awkward third head on power couple Kimye.
Mothers and sons are known for their close bond, but Tiger Woods and his mother, Kultida, took it to an extreme in this embrace, captured in 2010. Their closeness walked a fine line between appearing comforting and, well, Oedipal.
After accepting the award for Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010, Lady Gaga and Cher shared a meaty hug—literally. Lady Gaga wore a dress, designed by Franc Fernandez and made entirely of raw beef, which surely smelled and felt unpleasant. But in this carnivorous encounter, Cher demonstrated a new definition of true friendship: a willingness to risk contamination for a congratulatory hug.
Actors Drew Barrymore and George Clooney—who directed and starred alongside Barrymore in the spy thriller Confessions of a Dangerous Mind—went in for a halfway hug that left Clooney hanging on the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards. As for why the costars didn’t attempt a full-on embrace? Perhaps Clooney was afraid of getting hip-checked by the dress.
Frazer Harrison/Getty
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were often spotted in the stands cheering on the home team during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. But after a gold-medal cycling win for Team Great Britain, they let their excitement get the best of them. Kate looked ready to blast off, but luckily she had William’s arms to keep her grounded. While it might have been an awkward position for hugging, it was a sweet moment for the couple.
PDA Alert! Rihanna and Chris Brown’s relationship is no stranger to controversy, and this Instagram photo is no exception. With her back to the camera and wearing short white shorts that accentuated her curves, Rihanna is seen intimately straddling Brown in this hug, an uncomfortable amount of affection between the former couple.
It is not clear whether this backward hug between Today show anchors Kathie Lee and Hoda is intentionally cheesy or just an unfortunate moment caught on camera. Maybe it’s the lack of wine. Either way, way too awkward.
The art of mixing red-carpet posing and hugging can be difficult to master, as demonstrated by the Lohans. At the premiere for A Prairie Home Companion, Lindsay looked content to stand and smirk, but mom Dina attempted to wrap her arms around her in a hug ... while barely touching her. Even more oddly, Dina was also grinning and starring off into space. What was she transfixed over? Lindsay’s career?
After being tricked into being slimed at the Kids’ Choice Awards, Katy Perry got her revenge by smothering Jonah Hill while still covered in green goo. Hopefully, they knew how to clean up slime after this sticky encounter.
Actors Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody were not afraid of showing love during this hug at the Toronto Film Festival. The Brothers Bloom costars didn’t hesitate to get close, with their arms wrapped extremely tight around each other. Good thing Ruffalo hadn’t turned into the Hulk yet.
