by BONNIE STIERNBERG

Ashton Kutcher Explains Those Awkward Red Carpet Photos With Reese Witherspoon

Last weekend, photos of Kutcher and Witherspoon on the red carpet went viral on social media after fans pounced on the awkward apparent lack of chemistry between the pair. Kutcher in particular seems very uncomfortable in the photos, refusing to put his arm around his co-star.

Now, however, we have an explanation, and it’s a weird one. The actor claims that he didn’t put his arm around Witherspoon because he was worried people would think he’s having an affair with her.

It’s true that celebrities often face unfair scrutiny over their personal lives, but c’mon. There’s no harm in smiling and innocently putting your arm around — or not even around! just slightly behind, to signal a certain degree of congeniality! — a woman who isn’t your wife. People do it all the time, with friends, relatives and coworkers.

To be fair, these aren’t the only photos of the two of them from the red carpet, and a brief scroll through Getty Images reveals that there are, in fact, some pictures where Kutcher is laughing and smiling and the two at the very least appear to like each other. And, as Kutcher pointed out on the podcast, it’s easy to criticize red carpet photos when you’ve never had to pose for them yourself.

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