Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo Feud Rumours: Wicked Star Admits They Were 'Holding On by Threads'

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's friendship was reportedly 'holding on by threads' while they worked together on Wicked in the US, Cynthia has said in a new interview published this week, reigniting months of feud rumours surrounding the two stars.

During the long Wicked press tour, Ariana and Cynthia were presented as inseparable, with their bond becoming part of the film's marketing almost as much as their performances. After the release of the second film, Wicked: For Good, anonymous sources in US outlets began suggesting that, away from the cameras, the pair were never especially close. Those reports, along with Ariana's recent use of the past tense when referring to Cynthia, have fuelled speculation that their relationship may have shifted. Neither woman has confirmed any falling out.

From Thick As Thieves To Rift Rumours

While filming and promoting Wicked, the pair's public image was carefully and effectively shaped. Ariana, who played Glinda, and Cynthia, who starred as Elphaba, appeared together at events, praised one another in interviews and shared emotional behind the scenes moments that fans scrutinised closely. Social media quickly turned the friendship into part of the story, with every hug and tearful appearance dissected as proof of a rare off screen bond.

That image was later challenged by unnamed sources close to Ariana, who sought to play down expectations. Speaking after Wicked: For Good was released, one source said the two women had formed a bond during filming, but insisted their relationship had been largely professional away from set. The source also claimed they 'never hung out when the cameras weren't around' and were now heading in different career directions.

Rather than easing speculation, those comments had the opposite effect. Fans interpreted the briefings as a brush off, especially after Ariana herself later spoke about Cynthia in the past tense. Online, the reaction quickly snowballed, with some drawing comparisons to the kind of fandom driven drama that keeps celebrity break up stories alive long after the facts have faded.

Cynthia Erivo On 'Holding On By Threads' And Life Under The Wicked Microscope

Speaking to Variety about life after Wicked, Cynthia addressed the friendship directly for the first time since filming ended. Her remarks were strikingly candid. 'We were holding on by threads, and we were really trying to take care of each other,' she said.

She did not spell out exactly what those pressures were, but her comments suggest a relationship strained by outside forces rather than a simple private falling out. The phrase points to two colleagues trying to support each other while everything around them felt unsettled.

Cynthia also reflected on how social media distorted the relationship in real time. 'It's very interesting, watching what people's perception is versus what the reality actually is,' she said, adding that there were 'lots of psychologists seated at home deciding who we were, what we were going through, what we were doing and why.'

One of the more painful misconceptions, she suggested, was the idea that the friendship had been fake. 'I think that people didn't really believe that we were actually friends. But that's also because people don't know me very well. If I'm a friend, then I'm a friend. If I'm not, then I'm not.'

It was a quiet but pointed response, pushing back against the idea that the bond was just a publicity exercise while stopping short of explaining exactly where things stand now. Like Ariana, Cynthia did not offer any present tense reassurance, which only keeps the speculation alive.

In the same interview, Cynthia also spoke about the racist abuse and 'vile hate' directed at her during the Wicked press tour. Those remarks were not expanded on in detail, but they underline the pressure surrounding every public appearance she made with Ariana. Any friendship playing out against that backdrop was never likely to be straightforward.

The result is a picture of two women who, at least for a time, were trying to support one another while being dissected by fans, critics and online commentators. Whether that experience drew them closer in private or gradually wore the relationship down is something neither has chosen to spell out.

For now, the Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo feud rumours remain just that. Both women have discussed the relationship only indirectly, leaving the public to read between the lines of carefully chosen words about threads, perception and what it means to call someone a friend.