David Letterman mocks Beyoncé by saying she smells like 'aftershave' in 2006 clip: "It's my own..."

"Is it like an aftershave? Probably not an aftershave is it?" David Letterman asked Beyonce during the interview.
PUBLISHED FEB 28, 2025
A screenshot of Beyonce and David Letterman from a 2006 episode of 'The Late Show with David Letterman'(Cover Image Source: YouTube | Letterman)
A screenshot of Beyonce and David Letterman from a 2006 episode of 'The Late Show with David Letterman'(Cover Image Source: YouTube | Letterman)

It seems like Beyonce has an aversion to being interviewed! For the unversed, the Grammy winner stopped giving interviews way back in 2013, and many viewers felt that her awkward interactions on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' and 'The Tyra Banks Show' were the reason behind her decision. Along with this, Beyonce looked uncomfortable during her interview with David Letterman. In 2006, Beyonce appeared on an episode of 'The Late Show with David Letterman,' and at that time, Beyonce talked about her girls band, Destiny Child's breakup, and her song 'Bootylicious.' Throughout the interview, Letterman couldn't keep his hands to himself, and he continued touching Beyonce. 



 

As per a report by The Things, at the start of the interview, Letterman gushed over the perfume that Beyonce was wearing by saying, "Oh my god, you smell terrific. What is that? It just smells wonderful." In her response, Beyonce said, "True Star." Soon after, Letterman asked Beyonce, "Is it like an aftershave? Probably not an aftershave, is it? to which she replied, "No, it's actually my own fragrance." Letterman further raved over the fragrance and added, "Yeah, nice going on that, you got all of that, uh congratulations and the Grammys tomorrow night and you're here now but you're going to the Grammys and what you do when you get there. What's that day like for you?" Right after, Beyonce shared, "It's pretty hectic. I have hair makeup, and I'm actually getting on the plane now and trying to go to a party tonight in Los Angeles, and then I have the show, but I'm not performing, so it's easy I can relax and watch."



 

However, things turned awkward when Letterman asked Beyonce about her plans following the split of Destiny's Child. "I wanted to watch more movies, and more albums, and more shows like this," Beyonce shared at that time. After hearing Beyonce's response, Letterman placed his hand on the singer's arm and jokingly remarked, "Oh really? Can you come back tomorrow night? I know you'll be in California." Right after, Beyonce chuckled nervously while holding onto the desk. 



 

Later in the episode, the talk show host asked Beyonce about the meaning of Destiny's Child's smashing hit, 'Bootylicious.' When asked to share her definition of Bootylicious, Beyonce said, "I don't know what it says in the dictionary, but my definition is beautiful, bountiful, and bounceable." For the unversed, let us tell you, when the song 'Bootylicious' was released in 2002, it received immense backlash from the viewers. At the time of its release, the girl group stated that the song was about body positivity and G-rated fun. However, the viewers found the music video of the song 'sexual.' Then, Beyonce seemed uncomfortable while answering the question and said, "I'm not very proud of that." Shortly afterward, Letterman quipped, "Oh come on, you got to be. My god, I'd be," to which Beyonce replied, "Well, it's great. It's in the dictionary... It's crazy. I wish it was another word I could have come up with."



 

Once the episode was broadcast, Letterman faced a lot of backlash for his handsy behavior towards Beyonce. One person stated, "Wow. Just awful. Couldn't actually get through it; he was so gross with her. Opening with how good she smells?" Another user quipped, "She is holding on to that table with dear life!!! Lol social anxiety." meanwhile, a netizen commented, "Crazy how times have changed. Dave was being a creep, and Beyoncé handled it with grace." An annoyed user wrote, "Wow. Just awful. Couldn't actually get through it; he was so gross with her. Opening with how good she smells?" Another user noted, "The interviewer made her feel comfortable." One comment read, "Really, this was embarrassing to watch. The tapping he did especially...just yuck."

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