Meghan Markle displayed “wariness” in her interview with Drew Barrymore, body language expert Judi James has claimed.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, made a rare TV appearance on the actress’ eponymous talk show Thursday, where she appeared visibly uncomfortable with Barrymore’s tactile nature during the conversation, James told the Daily Mail.
While the “50 First Dates” star is known for her touchy-feely approach with guests, the “Suits” alum seemed less enthusiastic about Barrymore’s interview style, James claims.
“This is a rare pose from Meghan, who is normally the first one to move in with the hugs to register the warm, spontaneously tactile side that was apparently met with a tsunami of ice water from the royal firm back in the UK,” James told the outlet.
“Meghan adopted a straight, polite, more regal-looking pose, perhaps mirroring the kind of response she was met with from the UK royals when she was busy hugging them.”
“Her hand was hanging in her pocket rather than reciprocating the display of affection and she flashed a wide social smile at the camera rather than tilting her head in a reciprocal gesture,” she added.
During the pair’s conversation, Barrymore, 50, “clings relentlessly, curling her arms around Meghan’s waist in a partial koala embrace and tilting her head to nestle against Meghan’s locks,” James says.
The body analyst added that the “Charlie’s Angels” star’s tactile pose “signals a sense of warm friendship and affection,” whereas Markle appeared “more distanced emotionally and keener to communicate with the camera than with her host.”
Videos and images from Markle’s appearance on the talk show appeared to signal that the former working royal was “wary” of Barrymore leaning in, James claims.
“Meghan held both hands up in front of her body though, with hands curled into fists in what looked like a subtle barrier ritual,” she said. “Her facial expression also suggested some possible unease.”
“Her brows were steepled in a suggestion of wariness, and she had her hand resting on Drew’s arm in what looked like a polite but firm restraining gesture,” the body language expert went on.
“Drew’s angle of lean as she sits on her sofa with Meghan suggests she’s poised to move in for some tactile rituals as they chat.”
Meanwhile, the former actress “seems to be using her hands to illustrate or emphasize a point, but the positioning suggests she is not totally open to any touching or hugging at this point.”
The mom of two appeared on Barrymore’s show to promote her new Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” which premiered on the streaming platform Tuesday.
But despite its early streaming success — which has bumped the show up to Netflix’s Top 10 list — the 8-part series has already received scathing reviews from critics.
