Cynthia Erivo has addressed the online scrutiny surrounding her close friendship with Ariana Grande. The “Wicked” star reflected on the reactions to their bond and questioned why some people seemed uncomfortable with two women openly expressing affection for each other.
Cynthia Erivo has a message for online critics
Erivo’s comments come after some online reactions to the affection she and Grande have shown toward each other during their time working on “Wicked” and its 2025 sequel, “Wicked: For Good.”
“It was interesting that there were many people who had become psychologists from their couches,” Erivo told The Guardian. “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.”
She continued, “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?’”
Erivo also recalled an event on the red carpet in Singapore where she intervened after a man rushed toward Grande. The incident led some people to refer to Erivo as the singer’s “bodyguard,” a label she did not appreciate.
“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.’ But I must be a bodyguard,” she told the outlet.
She added, “I think the idea that it’s OK to rip a person to shreds in that way when they’re doing something that’s a naturally human thing to do just felt crazy.”
Erivo has previously addressed speculation about whether she and Grande were romantically involved. The actress has said that some people seem unable to understand that two women can share a deep, platonic friendship.
