Jerry Seinfeld Explains Kesha Snub: 'I'm Not a Hugger'
Why didn't Jerry Seinfeld hug Kesha in that awkward video seen around the world? It's simple. As he told Extra, it's because had no idea who the pop singer is. And he's not down with hugging "total strangers" anyway.
"I'm 63, I don't know every pop star ... I don't know everyone," the comedian told Extra today, adding, "I'm not [a hugger]."
If you missed the video, Kesha approaches him while he's doing an interview at an event and gushes, "I love you so much!" She then asks for a hug not once, but three times. Seinfeld holds up his hand and says, "No, thanks." She walks away with a gasp, stunned at his refusal to participate in the usual Hollywood hug-and-kiss.
Seinfeld explained to Extra that having someone approach him in the middle of an interview was "a little off." And hugging is not his preferred way of being introduced to someone. "I don't hug a total stranger. I have to meet someone, say 'hello.' I gotta start somewhere ... hug isn't first moment of a human, two humans. I never did that."
He went on to joke that he now has "a borderline harassment case" against the 30-year-old "Tik Tok" singer. He admitted to being "flattered" that she's a fan, but the TV only works one way... I can't see who's watching."
If she was a really die-hard of his '90s sitcom, she might have known that one of Seinfeld's rules about the show was: "No hugging, no learning."
He told Extra that the two did chat after that awkward video interview ended, but off-camera, and that the were able to laugh about the moment. So did he give her a hug then after all? Nope!