"If I stand next to her and put my hands in my pockets so there’s no chance that that could be the rumor, then the rumor is we don’t like each other,” he explained.
Ashton Kutcher finally addressed all the chatter about his awkward Your Place or Mine red carpet photos with Reese Witherspoon. As the Netflix rom-com premiered in Los Angeles on February 2, Kutcher and Witherspoon were seen posing awkwardly next to each other. Since then, social media has been in a frenzy and even memes have come out on the two stars' red carpet disconnect, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
During an appearance on the Chicks in the Office Podcast, he admitted that the move to keep his hands in his pocket while standing next to a smiling Witherspoon was on purpose. “If I put my arm around her, and were like all friendly with her, I’d be having an affair with her,” he said. “Like, the rumor would be that I’m having an affair with her. If I stand next to her and put my hands in my pockets so there’s no chance that that could be the rumor, then the rumor is we don’t like each other,” he explained.
Mila Kunis is putting a stop to Ashton Kutcher & Reese Witherspoon’s awkward pictures pic.twitter.com/IFXFJLapt9
— Chicks in the Office (@ChicksInTheOff) February 7, 2023
He said his wife, Mila Kunis, even texted them in a group chat and told them they have to "act like you like each other."
That ’70s Show alum also had another reason for his awkward looks on the red carpet, he said he’s hard of hearing and can only fully hear out of one ear, so he’s never really sure who’s calling his name. “I know there’s a lot of people yelling, ‘Reese! Ashton! Over here!'” Kutcher continued. “If you’re gonna tell me, in that entire 20-minute period, at one point you’re not gonna have an awkward face on, then you’re better than I am, and I’m cool with that,” he added.
During a recent appearance on TODAY, the Morning Show star said she got an email from Kunis, 39, who is a friend of hers. "She even emailed us last night," she said the day after the premiere. "She goes, 'You guys look so awkward on the red carpet together'."
Talking about working with Kutcher, Witherspoon added, "It's just fun 'cause when you know a girlfriend so much, it was just fun to get to know her significant other 'cause I've loved her for so long."
The Iowa-born actor added that Witherspoon is the one who pulled him back into the world of rom-coms "after a decade." He added, "She's such a badass." The 'Punk'd' alum said, "She has such a presence ... she has so much range, she can do drama, she can do comedy, she can do everything. She's such a movie star."
Witherspoon and Kutcher play the leading roles in the romantic comedy. Speaking with PEOPLE about Your Place or Mine in December 2022, Kutcher had said that signing up for the film was an "easy" decision, as he "finally got the opportunity" to collaborate with Witherspoon and Aline Brosh McKenna, 55, "two women I have wanted to work with for years."
"We just had fun!" he raved of their time on set. "I can talk to Reese about anything — acting, business, kids, media, football. She's always game," Kutcher added.
References:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chicks-in-the-office/id1412142989
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Charley Gallay
