EARLIER this month, Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher were together at the Your Place or Mine movie première in Los Angeles. Their awkward red carpet pictures sparked widespread social media memes. Even Kutcher’s wife, Mila Kunis, noticed the stars’ lack of chemistry on the red carpet.
During a recent appearance on the Chicks in the Office podcast, Kutcher explained that he was afraid that acting too familiar would lead to rumours of an affair.
He said: “[My wife] texted Reese and I together and she’s like, ‘Guys, you gotta act like you like each other.’ And I’m like, ‘What is going on?’
“Here’s the thing, if I put my arm around her [Reese] and was all friendly with her … the rumour would be that I’m having an affair with her.
“Reese and I are really good friends. We’re really close! I don’t have to defend that.”
Another factor contributing to Kutcher’s uneasiness on the red carpet is that he has hearing loss and can only hear well out of one ear, due to his diagnosis of vasculitis, a disease which restricts blood flow and causes harm to tissues and organs. Kutcher said that he was only trying to get over the moment because of the several cameras flashing and paparazzi yelling around him.
Kutcher said: “If you’re going to tell me in that entire 20 minutes, at one point, you’re not going to have an awkward face on, then you’re better than I am and I’m cool with that.”
During a guest appearance on the Today show, Witherspoon also discussed the trending images. She added that while she has known Kunis for a longer period of time than she has Kutcher, getting to know her friend’s partner was “fun”.
Your Place or Mine premières Feb 10 on Netflix.