It’s the kind of thing that only happens to Jennifer Lawrence. You’re at the top of the world, an Oscar winner, hosting Saturday Night Live, and you’ve decided—with the total confidence of a twenty-something movie star—that you are going to land a date with the head writer.
The guy was Seth Meyers.
Most people remember the viral clip from 2015, but the actual dynamic between Jennifer Lawrence and Seth Meyers is a weirdly perfect case study in "celebrity relatability." It wasn’t a PR stunt. It wasn’t a planned bit. It was just a genuinely awkward, slightly "delusional" moment that Lawrence decided to air out on national television years after the fact.
The SNL Week Where It All Went South
Back in 2013, Lawrence was in the middle of her Hunger Games ascent. She was young, incredibly famous, and apparently, harboring a massive crush on the guy behind the "Weekend Update" desk.
She later admitted to Meyers on his own late-night show that she had spent the entire week of rehearsals creating a full-blown romance in her head. "I had this whole plan," she told him, glass of wine in hand. "All week I was like, 'He’s going to ask me out, he’s totally going to ask me out.'"
It’s a classic J-Law move. She assumed the vibe was mutual.
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But Meyers, who was the head writer at the time, was basically living on caffeine and four hours of sleep. As he later told Howard Stern in 2023, he had zero "bandwidth" to flirt with anyone. He described himself during those SNL years as "filthy, sweaty, and stressed." Not exactly the romantic lead Lawrence had cast him as in her mind.
The Wardrobe Lady Intervention
The climax of this "romance" didn't happen on a stage or at an after-party. It happened in a costume fitting.
Lawrence was finally ready to make her move. She told the wardrobe assistant that she was going to give Meyers her phone number. The wardrobe lady, acting as the voice of reason every delusional person needs, had to break the news:
"Honey, he’s engaged."
Lawrence’s reaction? "Cool. Good talk."
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She didn't know. Seth Meyers was already with his now-wife, Alexi Ashe. The "plan" was dead before the monologue even started.
Why the Internet Still Cares in 2026
You’d think a crush from 2013 would be old news, but the Jennifer Lawrence and Seth Meyers interaction remains a staple of YouTube "best of" compilations for a reason. It highlights the total lack of a filter that made Lawrence a star in the first place.
Most celebrities would take that "almost-rejected" story to the grave. Lawrence, instead, used it as a way to bond with Meyers during a 2015 interview for the movie Joy.
A History of Chaos on Late Night
The crush isn't the only time these two have made headlines together. Their chemistry is built on Lawrence being "too honest" and Meyers playing the straight man.
- The "Morbidly Hungover" Interview: In 2017, Lawrence showed up to Late Night with Seth Meyers to promote Mother! and immediately announced she was "morbidly hungover." She had been drinking with her family the night before.
- The Bar Fight Story: During that same era, she recounted a story about getting into a physical altercation at a bar in Budapest.
- The Larry David Factor: In a hilarious twist, Lawrence once told Meyers that her crush on him was actually part of a pattern. She also had "sexual and marriage feelings" for Larry David. Meyers joked that being lumped in with Larry David made him feel "a little less awesome" about her crush on him.
The Seth Meyers Perspective: "Poor Taste"
Meyers has always handled the "crush" revelation with his typical self-deprecating wit. He’s gone on record saying that Lawrence’s attraction to him "reflects poorly on her taste."
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He also revealed that his wife, Alexi, actually loves the story. It’s a bit of a power move, isn't it? Knowing that one of the most famous women in Hollywood was once checking out your husband while he was "filthy and stressed" in a writer's room.
Meyers told Stern that he was genuinely flattered, but he emphasized that the SNL environment is so grueling that he was "flirt-blind." He wasn't ignoring her on purpose; he was just trying to finish the script for the "Californians" sketch.
Lessons from the Lawrence-Meyers Archive
If you’re looking for a takeaway from this Hollywood footnote, it’s basically this: even A-list stars have "main character syndrome" that leads to embarrassment.
- Step 1 is always the most important: Find out if they’re married. Lawrence famously joked that she always forgets "Step 1" when she starts building a fantasy life with someone.
- The Power of the Pivot: Instead of letting the awkwardness linger, she turned it into a recurring joke that strengthened her "brand" as the girl-next-door who can't get it right.
- Late Night is Work: Lawrence’s 2017 appearance reminded everyone that these "chats" are jobs. When she asked, "Is it over?" at the end of the segment, she was saying what every guest is thinking.
What to Watch Next
If you want to see the "delusion" in action, the 2015 Late Night interview is the gold standard. It’s where the "wardrobe lady" story first dropped. You can also find the 2023 Howard Stern interview where Meyers finally gives his full "side" of the story, explaining the sheer chaos of SNL and why he was the last person on earth who thought Jennifer Lawrence was flirting with him.
For those tracking Lawrence's current trajectory, she’s moved far past the "crush" phase of her career, focusing on producing and more selective roles, but her rapport with Meyers remains one of the few authentic-feeling friendships in the late-night circuit. It’s rare to see a celebrity and a host who actually seem like they could hang out without a camera crew present.
Next Steps for Fans:
Go back and watch the SNL Season 38, Episode 11 (the one Lawrence hosted). Knowing now that she was "delusionally" in love with the head writer the entire time makes the monologue and the sketches—especially the ones she did with the regular cast—hit a lot differently. You can also check out her interviews with Stephen Colbert for a similar "unfiltered" vibe, though nobody quite gets the "crush" stories out of her like Seth.