Connor Wood asked the universe for a sign from his celebrity crush, and the universe answered with a smoothie. According to E! News, Jennifer Lawrence left an Instagram comment telling the Dancing with the Stars contestant that she’d seen him on 8th Avenue sipping a smoothie, and that he “paid me no mind.” Somewhere in Manhattan, a man walked right past Jennifer Lawrence and kept drinking. We have all been there. Okay, we have not all been there.
The comment heard ’round the internet
It started with a crush confession. In a BuzzFeed Celeb video posted Tuesday, October 20, Wood named Lawrence as his celebrity crush, E! News reported. He didn’t stop there. He said he wanted “a Paige DeSorbo moment,” asking Lawrence to acknowledge that he is funny.
Fans did what fans do best. According to E! News, they flooded the comments of the BuzzFeed video tagging Lawrence’s Instagram account, @jlaw, which prompted her to respond. And respond she did, with a comment E! News quoted as:
“I saw you on 8th avenue drinking a smoothie and you paid me no mind.”
It’s the kind of comment that does three things at once. It’s funny. It’s a little flirty. And it gently implies that Wood had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and spent it focused on a blended beverage.
There is one small mystery here. Just Jared noted it could not find Lawrence’s comment in the comments section of the BuzzFeed Celeb video, suggesting it may have been deleted. Just Jared also flagged that the exact spot where she left the comment hasn’t been nailed down, so whether it lived on the BuzzFeed post or somewhere else reportedly remains unclear. Either way, the screenshots are forever.
How Connor Wood took the news
Wood handled it with the calm dignity of a man who has just learned he ignored an Oscar winner. On Wednesday, October 21, he reposted a screenshot of Lawrence’s comment to his Instagram Stories, E! News reported. His caption? “Going to bed.”
He set it to an audio about “letting go of the past and embracing the present moment,” per E! News. Honestly, a perfect choice. Sometimes the only healthy response is to lie down and stare at the ceiling for a while.
His DWTS partner was not about to let the moment slide by unrecorded. According to Just Jared, pro dancer Rylee Arnold captured Wood’s real-time reaction in a TikTok filmed during rehearsals. In the clip, E! News reported, Wood confirmed the geography checked out.
“Yeah, that’s where I get my smoothies,” he said.
So it wasn’t a random sighting. Lawrence apparently caught him at his regular smoothie spot, which somehow makes it funnier. He’s a creature of habit, and his habit nearly cost him a meet-cute.
Arnold, being the excellent partner she is, went straight to the source with a plea. “Jennifer Lawrence, he loves you. Please, give him a redo,” she said in the TikTok, according to E! News. That’s a partner who shows up on and off the dance floor.
Who is Connor Wood, anyway?
If you’re not deep in comedy TikTok, here’s the quick version. Wood, who was born Connor Masich, is a stand-up comedian and podcaster from Austin, Texas, known online as “Fibula.” He built his following during the COVID-19 pandemic with comedic TikTok videos, and now he’s trading punchlines for pasos dobles.
As Page Six reported, Wood is a contestant on Dancing with the Stars Season 35, which premiered in September, and he’s paired with pro Rylee Arnold. Judging by this week, the two have the chemistry thing locked down, at least when it comes to roasting each other about celebrity encounters.
Why this keeps happening to Jennifer Lawrence (in the best way)
Here’s what makes the whole thing extra delightful: Lawrence is brand new to this. According to Just Jared, she joined Instagram on September 9 under the verified handle @jlaw after years of steering clear of social media. Her bio reads “jenniferlawrence was taken,” which is about as on-brand as it gets.
Barely a month and a half in, she’s already a natural. The “Paige DeSorbo moment” Wood was angling for refers to the Bravo star publicly asking Lawrence to acknowledge that she was funny. Lawrence came through for DeSorbo shortly after the request, which is presumably why Wood figured it was worth a shot.
He just didn’t expect the acknowledgment to come with a side of light public shaming about his situational awareness.
What’s next?
The ball, or should we say the smoothie, is in Lawrence’s court. Arnold has formally requested a redo on the record. Wood has already gone to bed about it. Fans are clearly invested.
Whether Lawrence gives him a second chance remains to be seen. In the meantime, a word of advice to Wood: next time you’re on 8th Avenue, maybe look up from the straw.
