![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="439" width="780" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Bill Clinton was accused by social media observers of ogling singer Ariana Grande during the funeral for Aretha Franklin. You can watch video of the moment below and judge for yourself.
The moment came as the 25-year-old Grande performed (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman at the funeral for the icon, which was attended by other prominent figures, such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, who were seated near Bill Clinton, 72. But it was Bill Clinton’s supposed wandering eyes that sparked the Internet’s ire.
Aretha’s funeral was held at the Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple on Friday, August 31, 2018, capping days of mourning for the legend, who passed away from pancreatic cancer on August 16, 2018. The day before the funeral, fans had a chance to pay their respects to Franklin before her gold casket at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="531" width="782" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Ariana Grande performs during Aretha Franklin’s funeral at Greater Grace Temple on August 31, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan.
Bill Clinton also spoke at Franklin’s funeral, but all the Internet wanted to talk about was how he looked at Ariana.
Here’s what you need to know:
Some People Thought Bill Clinton’s Gaze Was Inappropriate
People on social media brought out the jokes. “@ArianaGrande Got Jesse Jackson and Bill Clinton Ready To Risk It All ?? #arethahomegoing,” wrote one woman.
“The optics of this photo is a tad bit creepy… This is not appreciation for skill or talent this is just base lust, & we still celebrate that in our culture. Why? Should we celebrate and publicize our baser instincts…. it’s unseemly & what was once shamed is no longer!” wrote another upset woman on social media.
Some people trotted out the GIFs and the memes.
“Please keep Bill Clinton away from Ariana Grande,” wrote a man on Twitter, of the notoriously womanizing ex-president. Wrote another man: “Gross… Watch Bill Clinton look Ariana Grande up and down when she sings at #ArethaFranklinFuneral and try not to throw up in your mouth. ?”
Clinton Had His Defenders on Social Media Too
Other people thought Bill was getting a bad rap. “How the hell do you know he’s not appreciating the performance? He’s just smiling lmao,” wrote one man.
Some people didn’t think Grande’s dress was appropriate for a funeral.
“He’s looking at the performer and smiling. Like most of the rest of the audience,” wrote another. Opined another man, “If Ariana Grande was singing 3 feet away from me I’d be checking her out up and down way more than Bill Clinton did. I thought the man was reserved honestly. I give him credit.”