Footage of Jerry Seinfeld refusing to hug singer Kesha has gone viral.

The Jewish comedian was being interviewed on the red carpet at a charity event on Monday when the blonde-haired entertainer suddenly approached him with open arms, demanding a hug.

Startled, the star of hit TV show Seinfeld took a step back and said: “No thanks.”

Fans have described the incident as a “snub” and the footage has since been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people .

But Mr Seinfeld insisted that did not intend to be rude.

Speaking after the event, he told Extra: “I’m 63. I don’t know every pop star, I don’t know everyone.

“When you get to be my age and you’ve done a couple things, you have your own reality. In my reality, I don’t hug a total stranger. I have to meet someone, say hello. I have to start somewhere.”

When the interviewer suggested Kesha may have been a fan who had grown up watching his programmes, Mr Seinfeld said: “I’m so flattered by that, but the TV only works one way. I can’t see out who’s watching.”