Kelly Clarkson Regales Jonathan Groff with Tale of Being Covered in His ‘Groff Sauce’: ‘You Are a Spitter’

Kelly Clarkson found herself in the splash zone seeing Jonathan Groff perform.

During the Wednesday, May 14 episode of her eponymous talk show, Clarkson, 43, told Groff, 40, about the “Groff Sauce” she was covered in after seeing him in Spring Awakening.

“There’s something — I didn’t know there was a name for it — but I was second row, so you probably know where I’m headed,” Clarkson began while Groff nervously giggled.

“I was in the second row and I was like what?” she continued, pretending to be confused while hit in the face with something. “There’s a term and it’s called the Groff sauce.”

The sauce in question was a mix of the Hamilton actor’s bodily fluids. “And it wasn’t just your spit, it was your sweat. I was like, oh, my God and then I felt like an inferior performer ’cause I was like, I have never worked that hard.”

“I have never ever worked that hard,” she continued. “Your whole body is into it. You are a spitter.”

Groff confirmed that he indeed is a “huge spitter.” “It’s just what happens to me when I perform.”

Clarkson credited it the spittle to Groff’s gift, adding that it was “hilarious” to see other audience members’ reactions to the splash zone, while Groff said he has seen people hide behind their programs.

“I mean, I wondered, do I spit on people ’cause I don’t know,” Clarkson mused. The singers also spoke about keeping cough drops handy to keep their throats lubricated while performing in dry environments, which they both had on them during the show.

Groff was nominated ahead of the 2025 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his portrayal of Bobby Darin in Just In Time. He was previously nominated for his roles in Spring Awakening and Hamilton.

He won the 2024 Tony for Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his performance in Merrily We Roll Along.

“Bobby Darin was a supernova,” Groff said in a statement ahead of Just In Time‘s premiere. “He blazed his way through every corner of the entertainment industry, but his enormous talent, charisma, and pure genius were most on display when he was letting it rip in front of a crowd.”

“This primal passionate love affair he had with the audience was the inspiration for our show’s conceit,” Groff added.

“[Tony Award winner and director] Alex Timber’s distinctive ability to make going to the theater an unforgettable event and Bobby’s signature musicality and explosive fleeting life make Broadway the perfect place to experience the story and essence of this once-in-a-lifetime talent.”