Although the ‘Wicked‘ press tour may have come to an end a long time ago, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande‘s legendary partnership continues to make headlines. In a revealing interview, Erivo opened up about her close bond with the pop star, discussing the skepticism that surrounded the actresses’ relationship throughout the promotion cycle.
While dealing with the stresses of being part of a huge franchise inevitably put Erivo and Grande to the test, the pair proved themselves to be loyal friends, trying to live up to the public’s expectations of them at all times. Erivo opened up about her and Grande’s close relationship in her latest interview with Variety.
Cynthia Erivo Addresses Ariana Grande Friendship Rumors
As explained by Erivo, there were constant speculations regarding her and Grande’s relationship in the years since they starred in Wicked together.
Despite their close emotional bond, many people speculated that the two were only putting it on “for the cameras” or that their partnership had romantic connotations.
According to Erivo, it seems that audiences are unfamiliar with the concept of true platonic female relationships, especially when they’re emotionally close.
The actress also noted that there was always this “strange fascination” with her relationship with Ariana, explaining that people would try to redefine it as something else because that’s what society expects of platonic female friendships.
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“It’s very interesting, watching what people’s perception is versus what the reality actually is,” she said, adding, “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.”
Despite constant speculations regarding their relationship, Erivo insisted that their bond was genuine. As explained by Erivo, the two actresses became extremely close during their time shooting for the films, as well as the subsequent press events for it.
According to Erivo, she spent nearly four years working together with Ariana on ‘Wicked‘ and ‘Wicked: For Good‘, spending every moment of the process with each other due to the pressure of the promotion and the release.
Additionally, Erivo added that she and Grande continued to be close friends even after the promotion, noting that the two of them keep sending messages to one another all the time despite no longer having to.
Cynthia Erivo Recounted The Emotional Toll Of The Wicked Era
In addition to discussing her feelings regarding their friendship, Erivo talked more about the emotional stress that came with being part of the ‘Wicked‘ promotion and the film itself.
The actress admitted that by the end of the press tour, she and Ariana were “holding on by threads” due to constantly being watched and criticized by the public.
One of the most iconic moments from the press tour that Erivo mentioned in her interview occurred in Singapore, where the actress jumped in to separate Grande from a man who bypassed a barricade and grabbed the pop star.
Although many people found the situation humorous and joked about Erivo acting as Ariana’s bodyguard, the actress said it bothered her greatly due to the racialized and insidious assumptions regarding her physical appearance and role as a Black woman.
“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 said.
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The actress noted that the situation perfectly showed how much people paid attention to everything she did with Grande during that period; however, this didn’t affect her relationship with the actress.
Erivo said that Grande was always there for her when she needed support during the franchise’s production and promotion period.
In conclusion, Erivo noted that audiences may never truly grasp how close she and Ariana are, as the actress believes people simply aren’t used to the sight of two women being that close and emotionally nurturing towards each other. Erivo insisted that their bond during the promotion period was completely genuine.
What do you think about Cynthia Erivo’s and Ariana Grande’s behavior towards each other during the promotion of ‘Wicked‘? Let us know in the comments section below.
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