Jacob Elordi Surprises Fans at ‘Wuthering Heights’ Premiere with Gross Moment That Involves Gum and His Mother
Jacob Elordi arrived at the Los Angeles premiere of Wuthering Heights yesterday at the TCL Chinese Theatre, where a seemingly small moment with his mother, Melissa Elordi, became a massive talking point on social media.
As he walked the red carpet, the 28-year-old actor was spotted chewing gum, but the interaction that followed left fans in a heated debate. Upon seeing his mother, Elordi stopped and, rather than a traditional hug, he spit out his gum and handed it directly to her.
The move sparked an immediate divide among the online community, with some viewing it as a sign of a close, unfiltered bond and others finding it remarkably odd. However, critics were quick to suggest that the actor’s Hollywood status played a role in the reception of the clip, with one person noting that audiences might only find the behavior cute because of his physical appearance.
Jacob Elordi spits his gum into his mom’s hand to throw away on the red carpet 😷
byu/shhhhh_h inpopculturechat
The moment echoes a similar red-carpet incident from the 2025 Oscars involving Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman, suggesting that the “handing off the gum” maneuver might be an emerging, if bizarre, celebrity trend.
For Elordi, however, the viral moment is just a small piece of a much larger professional year. He is currently navigating a major awards season campaign for his performance in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, where he played the Creature alongside Oscar Isaac.
In Frankenstein, Elordi’s portrayal of the misunderstood monster has been hailed as a career-best, earning him a Critics’ Choice Award and a BAFTA nomination. The actor famously spent hours in the makeup chair to embody the sensitive soul of Mary Shelley’s original text, a role he took over after Andrew Garfield had to depart the project. This critical success has set a high bar for his next major literary adaptation, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights.
In this new version of the Emily Brontë classic, Elordi stars as the brooding Heathcliff opposite Margot Robbie’s Catherine Earnshaw. The film, which features original music by Charli XCX, has already faced its own share of scrutiny regarding its casting and period-accurate costuming. Despite the controversy, early reactions from the premiere have praised the s**** tension and epic chemistry between the two leads, positioning the film as a major February release.
Beyond the moors of Yorkshire, Elordi is showing no signs of slowing down his busy 2026 schedule. He is set to star in Ridley Scott’s science fiction adventure The Dog Stars, alongside Margaret Qualley and Josh Brolin, which is scheduled for release this August.
While fans wait for the long-promised third season of Euphoria, Elordi’s film career has effectively transitioned him from a teen idol to a serious dramatic heavyweight. Whether he is playing a legendary monster or a gothic romantic lead, his presence on screen is currently inescapable. As he continues his press tour for Wuthering Heights, it is clear that every move he makes, even handing off a piece of gum, will be analyzed by millions.
Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is set to hit theaters on February 13, just in time for the Valentine’s Day weekend. The film marks Elordi’s second collaboration with Fennell following their success with Saltburn, where he played the charismatic Felix Catton. With a budget of $80 million and a supporting cast including Hong Chau and Ewan Mitchell, the project is one of the most anticipated films of the winter season.
Do you think Jacob Elordi’s red-carpet behavior with his mother was a sweet moment or a bit too strange for the public eye? Share your thoughts in the comments.
