Cynthia Erivo is setting the record straight about her friendship with Ariana Grande — and the emotional toll that came with public scrutiny during the massive Wicked press tour.
In a revealing new interview with Variety, Cynthia reflected on the intense spotlight surrounding both herself and Ariana throughout the global promotional campaign for Wicked and its upcoming sequel Wicked: For Good. While fans closely followed every interview, red carpet appearance, and viral interaction between the two stars, Cynthia says much of the online commentary completely misunderstood what was actually happening behind the scenes.
“We were holding on by threads and we were really trying to take care of each other,” she told Variety.
The actress explained that internet speculation often painted an inaccurate picture of their friendship, with social media users dissecting everything from their body language to their emotional reactions during interviews.
“It’s very interesting, watching what people’s perception is versus what the reality actually is. Lots of psychologists seated at home deciding who we were, what we were going through, what we were doing and why,” she added.
Throughout the Wicked press cycle, many fans questioned whether the connection between Cynthia and Ariana was genuine or simply promotional chemistry for the cameras. Cynthia firmly rejected that narrative, saying loyalty and friendship are things she takes seriously.
“I think that people didn’t really believe that we were actually friends. But that’s also because people don’t know me very well. If I’m a friend, then I’m a friend. If I’m not, then I’m not.”
According to Cynthia, the two stars still text nearly every day.
But perhaps the most emotionally charged moment she addressed was the infamous Singapore premiere incident from 2025 — a moment that quickly went viral online. During the event, a man unexpectedly rushed toward Ariana on the red carpet, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and began jumping up and down before Cynthia intervened.
“Nobody moved. Nobody moved. So I moved because my brain went, ‘Get him away! Get him out of here!’ My immediate reaction was ‘Get him away from us.’ And what people couldn’t see is that he wouldn’t let go [of Grande]. He wouldn’t let go. So I just kept pushing at him to get him off,” she explained.
“A stranger is a stranger. Personal space is still personal space. It doesn’t belong to anyone, even if you feel you know the person. In that moment, we were all terrified,” Cynthia added.
Although many initially praised Cynthia for stepping in, online jokes soon shifted toward labeling her Ariana’s “bodyguard” — something the actress says reflected deeper racial and gender biases.
“I think that we haven’t really come to terms with the insidious nature of how we view Black women. And I’m sure people will read this and think, ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, it’s not about that.’ But it is. Because that’s what was being made fun of. It was my physique; it was my shape; it was the fact that I was bald; it was about what I looked like. And because of that, there was this assumption that I was bigger than my co-star and so I had to be controlling or protecting, and that was my role. I would hazard a guess that it would not have been the same had it been the other way around.”
Cynthia also admitted that the backlash surrounding the moment deeply affected her emotionally and even influenced how she approached awards season campaigning for Wicked: For Good.
“I think maybe in a way it did, actually. I just felt like my humanity had been bastardized. I felt like something I did instinctively had been made to be something that it simply was not because of the way people see women who look like me, and because of the assumptions that are made, and I just didn’t want to be a part of that, really and truly. I didn’t want to put myself through it. I didn’t feel like I deserved it.”
The actress was snubbed by the Oscars alongside Ariana, despite both stars receiving widespread praise for their performances in Wicked.
Now, Cynthia’s latest interview is reshaping the conversation around that viral moment, offering a much more human perspective on fame, friendship, and the exhausting pressure that comes with being endlessly analyzed online.
