Critics and fans alike were all over Wicked when it hit theaters in 2024, but it’s no secret that Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s press tour rubbed a few folks the wrong way. Some speculate this could be why, despite sky-high expectations for its follow-up, Wicked: For Good, it underperformed at the box office. One Oscar voter even confirmed the two’s interview behavior turned off many voters. However, one of the stranger rumors bandied about was that the two stars were lovers, and someone finally asked Erivo about it.
During a recent wide-ranging interview with Stylist, Erivo addressed the wave of speculation that followed her and Grande throughout the two-part adaptation’s rollout. Reflecting on the fascination with their closeness, she suggested the reaction had less to do with them and more to do with how audiences interpret intimacy between women. In her words:
At first, I think people didn’t understand how it was possible for two women to be friends – close – and not lovers. I’ve never really spoken about this, but there was this strange fascination with the two of us, where people either thought we were putting it on for the cameras or that we were lovers.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo captured significant media attention during the promotional run for the first part of For Good. If you followed the press tour even casually, you probably remember the viral clips. The hand-holding. The teary-eyed interviews. For some viewers, it read as heartfelt and genuine, while others felt it was performative. Either way, it generated conversation.
The Harriet star believes part of the discomfort stems from how rarely we see deeply bonded, platonic female friendships presented in the media. She continued:
I think it’s because there’s such little conversation around platonic female friendship that is deep and real, even though it exists everywhere. We’re not used to seeing it on camera, in front of people. A relationship where people are connected sometimes just makes people uncomfortable; we aren’t taught that those relationships are good for us.
The Outsider veteran actress’s perspective adds an interesting layer to the discourse. Hollywood is no stranger to on-screen chemistry being exaggerated for marketing purposes. Fauxmances are practically part of the promotional playbook; Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney did it with Anyone But You and, more recently, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi of faced fauxmance accusations with Wuthering Heights. But in this case, the Bad Times at the El Royale performer is pushing back on the idea that closeness must equal romance or strategy.
Let’s not forget, too, that Wicked wasn’t some quick press-cycle fling. It was a massive, years-long production that required both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to live inside these characters emotionally and physically. When you’re pouring that much vulnerability into something and doing it side by side, it’s not shocking that a real bond forms. That kind of shared experience tends to create a sense of closeness. The problem is, the internet doesn’t really do nuance.
What I actually appreciate about Erivo addressing this head-on is that she’s widening the conversation. The rumor itself might’ve been tabloid fodder, but the bigger issue is how uncomfortable people seemed to get when two women were visibly close without a romantic angle.
Sometimes two women are just friends. Deeply connected, supportive, affectionate friends. And that shouldn’t feel revolutionary. Honestly, we could use stronger platonic relationships in media across the board. Not everything needs a will-they-won’t-they spin. Friends can just be friends. I’m fully on board with normalizing that.
Press tour discourse aside, if you want to revisit what made the franchise explode in the first place, the original Wicked is currently streaming, and Wicked: For Good is available to rent with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.
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