Cynthia Erivo has directly addressed months of online speculation suggesting her relationship with Wicked co-star Ariana Grande extended beyond friendship, describing the intense scrutiny as a strange fascination with platonic female bonds.
The British actress spoke about the persistent rumors in a recent interview with Stylist magazine published Saturday, offering her perspective on why some observers struggled to accept that two women could share a deep, affectionate friendship without romantic involvement.
Erivo explained that people either thought the closeness displayed during promotional appearances was performative, manufactured specifically for cameras, or alternatively believed the two actresses were romantically involved despite both being in committed relationships with other partners.
The speculation intensified during press tours for both Wicked and its sequel Wicked: For Good, where fans closely analyzed emotional interviews, lingering embraces, and frequent hand holding between the two stars. Social media users dissected every interaction, with some claiming their bond appeared romantic rather than platonic.
Erivo suggested the reaction reflects broader societal attitudes about female relationships. She noted that deep and real platonic female friendships exist everywhere but society remains unaccustomed to seeing such connections displayed publicly on camera. A relationship where people are deeply connected sometimes makes people uncomfortable, Erivo stated, adding that society does not teach that such relationships are beneficial.
Grande, 32, has been publicly linked to Wicked co-star Ethan Slater since production on the film began in 2022. The relationship began while both were married to other partners, with Grande separating from real estate agent Dalton Gomez and Slater separating from high school sweetheart Lilly Jay, who was his wife of five years and mother of his young son.
Erivo, 39, has been in a relationship with actress, producer, and screenwriter Lena Waithe since approximately 2020, though they did not publicly confirm their relationship until May 2022. Waithe is known for creating television series including The Chi, Boomerang, and Twenties, and became the first African American woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2017 for her work on Master of None.
The two actresses met at the 2018 Met Gala and maintained a close friendship for several years before their relationship evolved. Waithe was previously married to content executive Alana Mayo, separating just two months after their 2019 wedding.
Grande previously addressed the hand holding behavior during an appearance on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast in November 2025. The singer explained she channels a lot of energy through her hands and tends to hold hands, squeeze objects, or reach for people when seeking to provide support. She stated she did not realize it was a distinctive behavior until public attention focused on her interactions with Erivo.
Wicked became one of the highest grossing films of 2024 after its November release, earning over 700 million US dollars worldwide. Both actresses received 2025 Academy Award nominations for their performances as Elphaba and Glinda respectively, with Erivo nominated for Best Actress and Grande nominated for Best Supporting Actress. The film won two Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
The sequel Wicked: For Good premiered in January 2026 to strong box office performance but was surprisingly shut out of the 2026 Academy Award nominations announced in January. Anonymous Oscar voters speaking to media outlets suggested the intense promotional performances by Erivo and Grande may have alienated some Academy members, with one voter stating the closeness between the two actresses came across as inauthentic to certain viewers.
In her 2025 book Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much, Erivo revealed she and Grande established a pact to protect each other while working on the Wicked adaptation. She wrote that female co-stars can sometimes allow egos to interfere until they battle each other, destroying the creative process for everyone involved.
Erivo emphasized in her recent comments that her connection with Grande represents a genuine friendship formed while portraying characters whose bond drives much of the storyline in the Broadway musical adaptation. She framed their relationship as a close friendship that became amplified and over analyzed in an era characterized by viral press tours and intense online commentary.
The actress is currently in rehearsals for a one woman production of Dracula at London’s West End, scheduled to run for 16 weeks from February 4 through May 31, 2026. Erivo has won Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards during her career and received an Oscar nomination for portraying Harriet Tubman in the 2019 biographical film Harriet.
