Ariana Grande “Felt Weird” During That Viral “Holding Space” Moment

Amid the emotional, tear-filled Wicked press tour, one particular exchange left Ariana Grande “so confused.” The pop star-turned-Oscar nominee revisited November’s viral “holding space” interview while appearing on The Graham Norton Show on Jan. 24, and she admitted she found the whole thing a little “weird.”

The Viral Moment

After describing Wicked as “sort of cultural obsession,” host Norton brought up Grande and Erivo’s meme-inspiring interview for Out magazine. The moment that went viral was when journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist told Erivo that “people are really taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that and feeling power in that.” Erivo was immediately moved by Gilchrist’s words, so Grande grasped a single one of her fingers in support.

However, Grande admitted she wasn’t sure what Gilchrist meant and why it made Erivo so emotional. “I kind of missed what’s happening at that point,” she told Norton, before going on to add, “I’m like, ‘What the f*ck is any of this interaction? What does it mean?’”

As for her finger-grabbing and then tapping, Grande explained that she didn’t “know what else to do” with herself. She said “physical touch” is common for her and her co-star, so she reached out to Erivo. She called the gesture “well-intentioned” as she tried to “be loving and there for her,” but she also understood why fans were amused by it. “Why this? I don’t f*cking know,” she said.

The Meaning Behind The Meme

In hindsight, Grande characterized Gilchrist’s question as “just a beautiful way of saying that people identify with the lyrics and it brings them strength.” Still, the actor was relieved to see she wasn’t the only one who didn’t get what it meant right away.

“I was grateful to see the reaction of the world when this clip came out because I was like, ‘Oh, great, I’m not broken. They felt weird, too. They felt so confused, too,’” she said on The Graham Norton Show.

Gilchrist also addressed the interview after it took off online. She called it “really wild” in a Variety interview and added, “I’m glad people are finding joy in it and laughing, and that it’s so viral.”

For those still curious, she went on to explain what she meant. “‘Holding space’ is being physically, emotionally and mentally present with someone or something,” she said. “For me, it means being in the moment, not being distracted and feeling something on a cellular level. I think you can hold space with lyrics of a song — one you’ve heard hundreds of times — and it can suddenly take on new meaning when you’re a queer person. … For me, holding space is listening to those lyrics anew and finding solace or inspiration.”