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It was the lip-lock heard around the internet. Or at least, the one that made everyone in the Saturday Night Live studio audience let out a collective, high-pitched gasp that sounded somewhere between a cheer and a horror movie reaction. When Ariana Grande hosted SNL in October 2024, nobody expected her to end a sketch by aggressively making out with Bowen Yang.
They were playing Diane and her son’s new boyfriend in a high-stakes game of charades. It was chaotic. It was loud. And then, it was very, very wet.
The Bowen Yang Ariana Grande kiss wasn't just some random comedic beat written by a staffer in a caffeine-induced haze at 4:00 AM. It turns out the two of them actually planned the whole thing via text because they both thought it would be deeply, deeply weird. Honestly, that's just the kind of friendship they have.
The Backstory You Didn't See on TV
To understand why this moment felt so "unhinged," as the kids say, you have to look at the Wicked connection. Bowen and Ariana spent months together in London filming the massive movie adaptation. He plays Pfannee, one of Glinda’s (Ariana) posh university friends.
During that time, they became genuine best friends. Ariana even called Lorne Michaels personally to beg him to let Bowen stay on the movie when scheduling got messy. She basically saved his job. So, by the time she stepped onto the SNL stage as host, they had a level of comfort that most co-stars never reach.
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How the Kiss Actually Happened
During rehearsals for the "Charades with Mom" sketch, the tension between their characters—a competitive mother and a defensive boyfriend—was already through the roof.
- Ariana had the thought: What if we just kissed?
- She kept it to herself because she didn't want to seem "insane."
- Two hours later, Bowen texted her the exact same idea.
It was fate. Or just two theater kids sharing the same brain. When the live show happened, they didn't just do a polite stage peck. They went for it. Bowen later admitted on his podcast, Las Culturistas, that he "opened his mouth way too much."
Ariana's response? She was literally shaking afterward. Not because it was bad, but because it was so "disarming." She told Bowen, "I'm so thankful that we actually got to do this."
Why the Audience Screamed in "Horror"
If you watch the clip, the sound from the crowd is fascinating. It’s not the typical "woo!" you hear when two hot people kiss on screen. It’s a shock reaction.
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Bowen talked about this during a lie detector test with Vanity Fair. He mentioned it was the only time he’s ever kissed someone and heard a crowd scream in horror. He actually liked it. It felt like "exclamatory feedback."
He also threw some shade—comedically, of course—at his previous on-screen kiss with Sydney Sweeney. When asked who was the better kisser, he chose Ariana. Sorry, Sydney. Apparently, the kiss with her felt "rushed," while the Ariana moment was a "full-on event."
The "I've Been Through" Era
The friendship between these two is surprisingly deep. While filming Wicked in London, Bowen hit a real wall. The back-and-forth travel between the UK and New York for SNL was wrecking his mental health.
Ariana would invite him over to her place just to watch Mommie Dearest and quote Fay Dunaway. She saw him struggling and stepped in. That’s where the phrase "I've been through" comes from—a bit they share that eventually became the title of her Las Culturistas episode.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Sketch
A lot of people think the kiss was a mistake or an ad-lib that went too far. It wasn't. While the intensity might have been a live-show adrenaline spike, the choice to do it was a calculated move to break the "crazy tension" of the scene.
- The Intent: To make the audience uncomfortable.
- The Result: 100 million+ views on TikTok.
- The Aftermath: A public apology from Bowen for being "too open-mouthed."
It’s rare to see a pop star of Ariana's level be that willing to look ridiculous. But that’s the 2024-2025 version of Ariana Grande. She’s leaning into her theater roots. She’s not trying to be the "untouchable pop princess" anymore; she’s the girl who will do a weirdly wet comedy kiss with her best friend for a laugh.
What You Should Do Next
If you haven't seen the full "Charades with Mom" sketch, go find it on the SNL YouTube channel. It’s a masterclass in escalating tension.
Also, if you want the "emotional" version of this story, listen to the November 2024 episode of Las Culturistas. Hearing them talk about how they supported each other during the Wicked shoot makes the kiss feel less like a random stunt and more like a "we survived this movie together" celebration.
Keep an eye out for their chemistry in Wicked: For Good (the second part of the movie). While they probably won't be making out in Oz, their real-life bond definitely bleeds into their performances as Pfannee and Glinda.