Ashton Kutcher has explained why he looked so “awkward” in recent red carpet photos with Reese Witherspoon.
Images of the the pair, who co-star in new Netflix romantic comedy Your Place Or Mine, went viral earlier this week after many fans noted that they looked uncomfortable standing next to each other.
Black Swan actor Mila Kunis, who has been married to Kutcher since 2016, thought so too, and couldn’t help but mention it to the pair.
In an interview with US show Today, Witherspoon said that Kunis sent them a group email after seeing the images online.
“She goes, ‘You guys look so awkward on the red carpet together.'” Witherspoon revealed.
In a separate interview with the Chicks in the Office podcast, Kutcher revealed that Kunis had alerted him to the fact that the images had been turned into “memes” on social media.
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“My wife called me,” he said. “She texted Reese and I together and said, ‘Guys, you gotta, like… act like you like each other’.”
Explaining why he seemingly looked so uncomfortable, he said: “Here’s the thing: if I put my arm around her, and was like all friendly with her, I’d be having an affair with her. Like, the rumour 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 rumour, then the rumour is we don’t like each other.”
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Kutcher also claimed that he was made to feel uncomfortable by the members of the press who were shouting his name and snapping photos
“I don’t know who’s calling my name, but I know there’s a lot of people yelling, ‘Reese! Ashton! Over here!’”
He added: “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.”
Last year, Kutcher revealed that he had previously been diagnosed with vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease that affects a person’s ability to see, hear and walk. The actor still claims to be hard of hearing in one ear.
Your Place Or Mine will be available to stream on Netflix from February 10.