Cynthia Erivo Addresses the 'Strange' Speculation That She and Her “Wicked” Costar Ariana Grande 'Were Lovers'
- - Cynthia Erivo Addresses the 'Strange' Speculation That She and Her “Wicked” Costar Ariana Grande 'Were Lovers'
Escher WalcottFebruary 16, 2026 at 9:23 PM
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Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
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Cynthia Erivo addressed rumors of having a romantic relationship with her Wicked costar, Ariana Grande, in a recent interview
Erivo, 39, said that the she believes that the speculation stemmed from her "close" relationship with Grande, 32, making some people feel "uncomfortable"
"I think people didn't understand how it was possible for two women to be friends — close — and not lovers,” said Erivo
Cynthia Erivo is opening up about the public perception of her close blond with her Wicked costar, Ariana Grande.
In a recent interview with the U.K. magazine Stylist, Erivo, 39, addressed the “strange” speculation that she and Grande, 32, were lovers, stemming from their interactions with each other during the press tour of the Wicked films, as she discussed the pair’s “close” relationship.
“At first, I think people didn't understand how it was possible for two women to be friends — close — and not lovers,” said Erivo. “...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.”
Erivo, who plays Elphaba alongside Grande's Glinda in the 2024 and 2025 film adaptations, described her relationship with Grande as so “deep” that it left some people “uncomfortable."
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in 2024
John Nacion/Variety/Getty
“I think it's because there's such little conversation around platonic female friendship that is deep and real, even though it exists everywhere,” continued Erivo. “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,” she added.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in 2024
Emma McIntyre/Getty
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Grande said of her close relationship with Erivo on the Podcrushed podcast in 2024, “I learned so much as a person from her. And she loves hard … and honestly and right … it was just the most symbiotic, beautiful [experience working with her].”
"To have the love that we have and trust that we have and deep love that we have for each other ... I think it all kind of happened the way it did because of that, and because we were supposed to be in each other's lives. I really do," said Grande. “I love her so much."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
