Martha Stewart pushed away Drew Barrymore after she felt the latter was getting too close to her

Martha Stewart reacted in a surprising way when Drew Barrymore got a little too close on her talk show. In November 2024, Stewart appeared in an episode of ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ to promote her 100th cookbook titled ‘Martha, The Cookbook: 100 Favorite Recipes, with Lessons and Stories from My Kitchen.’ At one point,Stewart playfully pushed Barrymore away when the talk show host got a little too close. The odd moment saw the light of day when Barrymore inched closer to Stewart while the two were sitting on a giant couch.

With a mischievous smile, Barrymore playfully bit her finger before asking Stewart what made her feel ‘soft and gooey’ on the inside. Stewart seemed surprised and paused before answering. Shortly afterward, Barrymore caressed her back and arm. In her response, Stewart said, “Soft and gooey treatment. When you’re treated like a lady, yes, it’s nice.” Stewart laughed and playfully pushed Barrymore away, joking, “You’re the wrong gender.” As per Page Six, Barrymore fell back on the couch and replied by saying, “I know … although, the way it’s going with men, though, Martha, I’m not so sure anymore.”

In the past, Barrymore has faced backlash for invading the personal space of the guests on her talk show. Barrymore has been known for her hands-on interview style, including with guests like Oprah Winfrey and Natasha Lyonne. Barrymore acknowledged the criticism of her touchy interview style and said she’s working on maintaining more personal space. “I’ll try to practice physical distance, which is not my strong point,” she shared in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, as per The New York Post. Barrymore added, “Do you know how hard the pandemic was for me? I was alone in a studio by myself! I like to be around people!” Barrymore admitted that her touchy approach is “not everyone’s favorite.” Barrymore also offered a heartfelt apology to all the celebrity guests who may have felt discomfort due to her touchy gestures by saying, “I’m sorry to those people!”

The ‘Charlie’s Angles’ star continued, “I think that first of all, l we’re always gonna be big on joy and laughter and feeling good, and that was something I always wanted to do, but I never thought we would launch in a pandemic, and trying to lean into the joy and the feel good and the comedy at that time was real weird and wacky. I am so into working on myself as a person that I think that’s always gonna be a big part of the show: ‘How do we live a life? How do we thrive and not just survive?’ I love listening to people. I love learning from people. I’m a student. I will never not be a student.”

During a March 2023 appearance on ‘The Tonight Show,’ Jimmy Fallon brought up Barrymore’s hands-on interviewing style. At that point, Fallon presented a photo of Barrymore facing Brooks Shields during an interview and said, “You guys are basically spooning.” Soon after, Fallon showed a picture of Barrymore holding hands with Chloe Bailey while kneeling on the floor. “You can’t sit in your chair. You get in there,” Fallon said, as per Today. While replying, Barrymore stated that she ‘felt a magnetic pull’ to be close to the guests on her show.