Cynthia Erivo clears up misconceptions about her relationship with Ariana Grande

Cynthia Erivo says their friendship is real and has been widely misinterpreted as something it’s not by many

Cynthia Erivo has publicly addressed how her friendship with Ariana Grande has been misconstrued by parts of the public and online commentary. Amid viral speculation and rumours about their relationship stemming from affectionate moments during the promotion of their film Wicked: For Good, Erivo clarified that what many people are reading into their bond is not reflective of reality.

The friendship between Erivo and Grande, which blossomed as they worked closely together promoting Wicked, naturally involved a lot of support, physical touch and emotional openness, and that led some observers to attach labels or romantic assumptions to what the pair were doing in public appearances. However, according to multiple reports, Erivo emphasised that their connection is rooted in deep friendship, mutual respect and support rather than a romantic relationship, and that attempts to define it otherwise misread what was actually happening.

Erivo has described their friendship as akin to sisterhood and about caring for each other through the intense experience of the film’s press tours. Both actresses have spoken about how they agreed to “take care of each other” during the process of making Wicked — a pact they’ve said helped them manage the pressures of promotion and performance.

Despite the widespread online commentary and speculative memes, the honest clarification from Erivo reinforces that the pair’s closeness is a strong platonic friendship, and that much of the speculation about their dynamic was exaggerated or misframed by internet culture rather than grounded in statements from either woman herself.