Los Angeles [US], October 30 (ANI): Actor Cynthia Erivo has responded to criticism surrounding her close friendship with ‘Wicked’ co-star Ariana Grande, saying there appeared to be an unusual level of annoyance among fans at the idea of two women sharing a genuine bond, according to People.
In an interview, Erivo spoke about the reactions to the actresses’ off-screen friendship during the promotional tours of ‘Wicked’ and its sequel ‘Wicked: For Good’.
“It was interesting that there were many people who had become psychologists from their couches,” Erivo said. “There was this weird sort of, what’s the word I’m looking for … annoyance … at the fact that two women could actually be friends,” as per the outlet.
Erivo said some fans appeared to question the authenticity of the emotions the two actresses displayed during interviews and promotional events, including their expressions of affection, laughter and tears.
“Like, ‘Why are they friends? Why are they connected? There must be something wrong with them. Why are they showing emotion? How dare they cry? And how dare they laugh? And how dare they be emotive and alive?’ ” she said.
Describing the reaction as a “double-edged sword”, Erivo said the actresses would likely have faced criticism even if they had displayed little emotion during their public appearances.
“Because if we were dead behind the eyes and showing no emotion, there would have been something else to say about it,” she said, adding that she wished someone could have shown them the “proper balance” of emotion to express.
Erivo also recalled the November 13, 2025 incident in Singapore, when she stepped in to shield Grande after a fan ran towards the singer and put his arm around her during a promotional event.
Describing the incident as “terrifying”, Erivo said her immediate reaction was to protect her co-star.
“No one else was moving. We were on a carpet,” she said. “We were exposed. My immediate response was: ‘Get this man away from us now,’” according to People.
She also objected to the suggestion that she was acting as Grande’s “bodyguard”, saying her response was simply that of a friend looking out for another friend.
“I was like: ‘Oh, you think because I look like this that you could talk to me this way about something that was a human thing that I would have done for any friend, and hopefully a friend would have done for me,’” she said.
Erivo and Grande played Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in the two-part musical adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway production. The films, released in 2024 and 2025, follow the friendship between the two characters, who meet as college roommates at the fictional Shiz University and gradually discover their identities.
The actresses’ friendship also drew appreciation from the film’s collaborators. Director Jon M. Chu had previously described their bond as “one of the most beautiful friendships to watch grow” in an interview with People.
“These two are the two biggest voices in the world, maybe in our lifetime. They could have hated each other,” Chu said, adding that despite the possibility of “insane divaship”, the actresses consistently placed the film ahead of themselves and immersed themselves in their respective characters.
The two actresses have continued to share a close bond following the films’ releases. In November 2025, they also revealed that they had got matching “For Good” tattoos inked on their palms.
Meanwhile, Erivo recently starred in ‘Prima Facie’, a legal drama that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film does not yet have a US release date, according to People. (ANI)
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