Ariana Grande Responds To Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked Poster Criticism

Days after Cynthia Erivo called out of a “deeply hurtful” fan-made Wicked poster, Ariana Grande weighed in on her co-star’s criticism.

Speaking to Variety at the Academy Museum Gala on Oct. 19, Grande was asked about Erivo’s comments and the impact of AI-generated movie visuals in general.

“I think it’s very complicated because I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, but I think it’s just kind of such a massive adjustment period,” she said. “This is something that is so much bigger than us, and the fans are gonna have fun and make their edits.”

When asked if she believes things can go “too far” with fan edits online, the singer continued, “I think so. I have so much respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I love her so much. It’s just a big adjustment period. It’s so much stimulation about something that’s so much bigger than us.”

On Oct. 16, Wicked star Erivo, who plays Elphaba Thropp in the musical-adaptation, called out a fan-edited poster on her Instagram story, in which her eyes had been covered and the color of her lips had been changed from green to red like in the original poster for the Broadway musical.

“This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen,” Erivo wrote in a caption. “None of this is funny/ none of it is cute/ it degrades me/ it degrades us.”

The actor also pointed out that the Broadway musical poster is an illustration, while the movie poster is of real people.

“I am a real life human being, who chose to to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer,” she continued. “Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.”

Fans Were Divided

Erivo’s comments sparked debate among Wicked fans online. While some didn’t understand “why she’s triggered by this,” other fans said the actor’s feelings are “valid.”

Bustle reached out to the fan account for comment amid the controversy. “My intention in posting that photo was totally the opposite of what was ultimately conveyed,” they responded via email. “We all actually love the cover that Wicked released on social media, but there was also some controversy, ‘cause 20 years ago the cover of the musical on Broadway showed Elphaba’s hat covering her eyes, so I wanted to share an edition that I found very creative and satisfying. ... My intention was not to hurt Cynthia, and I would like to apologize for the message that I may have sent her in the wrong way.”