Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked Press Tour Is Full Of Happy Tears

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are failing to defy gravity with their tear ducts. The stars who portray Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked: Part One have bonded just as much off-screen as their characters do in the new film. If you need more proof, look at... pretty much every interview the pair has done together during the Wicked press tour, where the tears haven’t stopped flowing.

Erivo and Grande have cried multiple times on the press trail, and their teary-eyed interviews have gone viral. While some fans applaud how easily Erivo and Grande get choked up when talking about each other, like true BFFs would, others are turning their tears into funny memes on social media.

However, the duo are the first to poke fun at themselves and have apologized twice for getting too “emotional” on the press tour. They’ve also defended their emotional reactions, both iterating that their tears come from “happiness” and “joy.”

“You need to understand, it’s been, like, three years, people!” Grande told Entertainment Tonight at the film’s Los Angeles premiere. “Why does emotional availability scare you so?”

There’s still Wicked: Part Two to come in 2025, which practically guarantees more tears as Erivo and Grande keep promoting the films for the next year. Below, here’s every time they’ve teared up on the Wicked press tour so far.

Ariana Wipes Cynthia’s Tears

During one of their press junket interviews with podcast host Em Rusciano, the interviewer told Erivo and Grande how much Wicked meant to her and said, “You did it.” Grande was immediately touched, but Erivo couldn’t speak and started crying. This made the reporter tear up, leaving Grande in charge of getting them both under control.

“Everybody, stop now!” she gently yelled, not wanting them to ruin their makeup.

Ariana & Cynthia Are Left Speechless

In a separate interview on Jake’s Takes, reporter Jake Hamiton asked Erivo and Grande, “In what ways has the person next to you changed you for good?” (It’s a nod to their duet “For Good,” which will be seen in Wicked: Part Two.) They were left speechless, and Grande started crying as Erivo eventually answered for the both of them.

“I think we’ve been able to see in each other a little bit of a reflection,” she said in part. “I think I’ve gotten a little bit of her softness, and she has a little bit of my strength.” Grande eventually spoke up through her tears, joking, “Truthfully, we’re a bunch of crybabies over here.”

Their New York Times Interview

While Erivo and Grande’s interview with the New York Times wasn’t filmed, reporter Kyle Buchanan made it a point to note how often they cried during the interview. “Merely meeting the other’s gaze could make them both misty, and when they discussed wrapping the film, both women once again began to cry,” he wrote.

Even Grande became self-aware of how emotional they were getting. “Excuse me, may we have one million tissues please?” she asked no one in particular.

The “Tearful” Wrap Party

Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere on Nov. 9, Erivo told Variety about the Wicked wrap party, which she described as simply “tearful” given how long the cast and crew were filming both movies together. “We made family, we spent a year and then some with people, so to let them go was tough, and to let these characters go was tough,” she explained.

Ariana & Cynthia’s Emotional Apology

In an interview with E!, both Erivo and Grande looked at each other and got misty-eyed yet again, before stopping each other in their tracks. “We can’t, we’ve cried 500 times today” Grande told her, before apologizing to everyone else. “Honestly, this is a PSA,” she said. “So sorry, guys.”

Grande also had something to say about the critics of their crying. “ If you’re just gonna comment saying how annoying it is, I’ll say it first. I’m annoyed, I’m tired,” she joked, adding that she and Erivo already had a private cry “in the parking lot” and refused to cry anymore.

“We’ve come through a massive, massive thing, and we’ve really stuck together,” Erivo added.