Not fazed. Ashley Graham revealed whether she took “offense” to Hugh Grant’s lackluster demeanor at the 2023 Oscars after their red carpet interview went viral … and not in a good way.
“You know what? My mama told me to kill people with kindness, so there you go,” Graham, 35, told TMZ on Monday, March 13, when asked about the uncomfortable discussion.
The supermodel, however, noted that she didn’t let Grant’s actions keep her down. “I had so much fun. My feet hurt, though,” she confessed.
Grant, 62, raised eyebrows on Sunday, March 12, after he spoke with Graham ahead of the awards show. During their exchange, the Notting Hill star appeared to be cold with his responses which were, for the most part, short and without any real substance.
Ashley Graham and Hugh Grant Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock; Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
When the A New Model author asked the British actor what his favorite part of the Oscars was, he responded, “It’s fascinating. The whole of humanity is here. It’s vanity fair.”
The interview seemingly took a turn for the worse after Graham interpreted Grant’s response as a reference to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, which takes place after the ceremony. The Paddington star, however, appeared to be speaking about Vanity Fair in the context of its definition as “a scene or place characterized by frivolity and ostentation.”
After Graham replied, “Yes, that’s where we let loose and have fun,” the Love Actually actor visibly tensed up.
When the ABC red carpet correspondent asked what he was wearing, Grant quipped, “Just my suit.” Graham prompted him to reveal who made the piece of clothing, to which the two-time Emmy nominee said, “I can’t remember my tailor.”
Grant appeared even more uninterested in the interview once the former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover star inquired about his part in 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. “Well, I’m barely in it. I’m in it for about 3 seconds,” he said of role, noting that he “almost” showed up and had fun.
The cringe-worthy moment, however, didn’t seem to faze Graham at the time and she quickly moved on to the next celebrity. Fans, meanwhile, were appalled by Grant’s actions and came to the model’s defense via social media.
“You should get an Oscar for how gracefully you handled that interview with Hugh Grant,” one viewer wrote on the Nebraska native’s Instagram post from the event. “He was either drunk or something but he didn’t even want to be there.”
A separate Twitter user wrote: “Hugh Grant just gave one of the worst interviews I’ve ever watched on live tv lol. Admittedly, the question kinda sucked but he was NOT trying to support the interviewer at all .”
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Another fan tweeted, “Is Hugh Grant just an arrogant dick all the time? He was so rude to Ashley Graham on the red carpet, complete with an eye roll. Maybe he should stay home if he’s too good for his industry of choice.”