Maybe it’s a post-pandemic need to be touched.
Maybe it’s a crowded media landscape that demands ever-wilder antics so that monopolize the attention of fans.
Whatever the reason, we seem to be entering a golden age of celebrity PDA.
Often, it’s just plain awkward.
Read on for a look back at awkward celeb PDA moments that were caught on camera.
Some celebs, however, take their social media displays of affection to new heights.
That was the case forShawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello, whose 2019Instagramvideo gave viewers an eyeful.
“Really hurt our feelings,” Cabello chimed in.
Cabello stuck out her entire tongue.
Mendes opened his mouth as wide as it would go.
He squished his nose into her cheek.
She stuck her nose into his open mouth.
“Can someone just pour bleach in my eyes?”
Mendes explained the thinking behind the video on an episode of Dax Shepherd’s"Armchair Expert"podcast.
Even when they aren’t physically together, Fox and Kelly have publicly displayed their affection for one another.
At the VMAs in 2020, the rapper-turned-rockstar brought a picture of his girlfriend to the red carpet.
Their PDA reached new heights at the Billboard Music Awards in 2021.
“All they did was f***ing touch tongues?!”
Kissing and hugging are all well and good, but what about thumb-sucking?
“I f***ing love you!”
Barker captioned the video.
“You’re a blessing to this world.”
Commenters on the video were not impressed.
While presenting his “What’s My Name?”
duet partner with the Video Vanguard Award, the rapper confessed to carrying a torch for his friend.
The crowd went wild, but Rihanna seemed taken aback, jokingly rolling her eyes.
As she walked up to accept the award, Drake proved he wasn’t kidding.
The “Rude Boy” singer later said that the moment was difficult for her at the time.
She toldVogue, “Waiting through that speech was probably the most uncomfortable part.
I don’t like too many compliments; I don’t like to be put on blast.”
It is what it is."
That being said, we’ll always have “SNL.”
Then, promising his most romantic kiss yet, Garfield attempted to swallow Stone’s entire chin.
If you ask us, they should have taken the act to red carpets everywhere!
One of the variants was, indeed, controversial.
Gaga posed alongside then-boyfriend Taylor Kinney in a nude, paint-covered display of affection.
In typical Gaga fashion, the image came with a long explanation of her intention behind it.
“We made love on the canvas on a Sunday in Chicago.
We made love amidst chaos.
We talked about shootings.
We made love amidst terrorism,” she wrote (viaYahoo).
Fans on social media went gaga over their idol’s PDA.
One user onTwittercompared it to John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s iconic Rolling Stone cover.
Back in 2015, however, it was all love on the red carpet of the Grammy Awards.
Kardashian infamously appeared in the music video for the song, riding a motorcycle backward while naked.
Talk about public displays of affection!
The pictures instantly became a meme.
At the VMAs, Grande wore her hair down, as opposed to up in her trademark high ponytail.
Unfortunately, the smoldering relationship was not to last.
The month after the VMAs,Grande’s ex Mac Millerdied.
First, their interview withMTVpointed to a love built on … well, not very much.
“I just fell in love with this girl really fast,” Xan told the web link.
Speaking withUs Weeklyabout her boyfriend’s most romantic gestures, Cyrus confessed, “I don’t know.
He gets me chicken nuggets.”
Then, some incredibly awkward moments were captured by the red carpet photographers' cameras and went viral online.
The image became so popular online, in fact, that it has its ownKnow Your Memepage.
According toi-D, Cyrus posted (and has since deleted) the photo to her Instagram.
“Most ugliest couple at VMAs.
Yeah, we know,” she captioned the snap.
They later broke up over rumors of infidelity, according toOK Magazine.
Ah, young love.
Still, who expected her to lick her husband’s tongue on the red carpet?
Cardi later explained on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that their unconventional PDA was simply a practical consideration.
she told the comedian (viaYouTube).
“That’s never happened before to you?”
