Ariana Grande Liking Video 'Confirms' She Sees The 'Misogynoir' Cynthia Erivo Memes: Report

Ariana Grande sparked loud online chatter after she liked a viral Instagram Reel which many fans now treat as confirmation that she sees spreading 'misogynoir' memes aimed at Cynthia Erivo.

The Instagram reel was posted by @thefilmdiva. Her reel revisited a tense moment from last month's Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore where a fan suddenly pushed through a crowd and grabbed Grande during a carpet walk.

Erivo moved first, pushed that person off, and shouted 'Let go of her!' before she comforted Grande who looked shaken.

Grande's like drew fresh interest because many viewers believe it reflects awareness of growing attacks on Erivo.

Many Internet Users Mocked Erivo

Footage from that carpet moment spread fast across social platforms. Many users lifted short clips and repackaged them into comedy edits that mocked Erivo's reaction.

Those posts grew in number until @thefilmdiva stepped in and called the trend out directly. She said, 'I honestly do not find what's funny with all of these different memes and videos villainizing and making fun of Cynthia Erivo'.

She also pointed out that much of that content came from men. She questioned why Erivo appeared targeted through jokes that leaned on racism and misogyny. She asked 'Why is it always men? Why are you making her very masculine?'

That message shifted talk online almost instantly. One viewer said 'I don't understand why they are masculinising her. She protects her friends just like anyone should and I hate how they are making her seem big, manly or intimidating'.

Another user wrote, 'It's so weird how they can't recognize her protecting Ariana as a feminine thing. It just screams forced masculinity on black women. Cynthia is KNOWN for her acrylic nails and glamorous nature, how is THAT masculine?'

Someone else added, 'she literally has the exact same frame as ariana, she just happened to stand up for her'.

Many comments repeated similar points. They pushed back against those memes by stressing that Erivo acted out of instinct during a frightening moment.

That pushback gained reach as more viewers questioned why her defence of Grande had been twisted into mockery.

SZA Agreed That the Memes Were 'Misogynoir'

American R&B singer-songwriter SZA joined those comments soon after and strengthened backlash against those edits. She called Erivo's treatment 'CLASSIC Misogynoir'.

She wrote 'can't believe it's openly a thing in 2025 .. everyone's gonna have cognitive dissonance 2 years later like "remember when everyone attacked Cynthia for being black bald and nurturing?... that was crazy" ..it could jus stop now lol'.

Her message drew attention from thousands of viewers who then examined every detail of @thefilmdiva's post. That sudden wave of interest led fans back to Grande's like. Many reacted with strong emotion.

One person wrote 'Ariana Grande liking this really says something 😢'. Another said 'GLAD SHE LIKED IT, i hope people realize this isnt funny'. Others argued her 'like' proved she had seen harsh memes.

One viewer said 'The fact that she liked this means she has seen all the awful ones. Celebrities are still people, this is sad'. Another added 'ariana liked this video... they really are seeing everything said about them & that's upsetting'.

Someone else said 'This whole situation already had me sad but knowing they're online seeing it just makes me feel worse'.

Those reactions fuelled wider concern about how Erivo and Grande have become targets. Their supporters now push for a stop to ongoing jokes as conversations continue across social media.