Cynthia Erivo on Ariana Grande Romance Rumours: 'There Was This Strange Fascination With the Two of Us'

Cynthia Erivo recently addressed the long-running speculation about her friendship with 'Wicked' co-star Ariana Grande. Erivo's comments are part of a broader conversation about how female friendships are perceived from the outside.

In an interview with Stylist, Erivo talked about the rumours that have since circulated online and offline about her friendship with Grande. Erivo said she initially thought people did not understand how women could be very close yet only have a purely platonic relationship.

Deep Platonic Friendship Misunderstood

'At first, I think people didn't understand how it was possible for two women to be friends – close – and not lovers', said Erivo. 'I've never really spoken about this, but there was this strange fascination with the two of us, where people either thought we were putting it on for the cameras or that we were lovers.'

'I think it's because there's such little conversation around platonic female friendship that is deep and real, even though it exists everywhere', Erivo continued. 'We're not used to seeing it on camera, in front of people. A relationship where people are connected sometimes just makes people uncomfortable; we aren't taught that those relationships are good for us.'

Viral Moments During the 'Wicked' Movies Press Tours

The rumours stemmed from Erivo and Grande's behaviour during the press tours for both 'Wicked' and 'Wicked: For Good', where they are often seen side-by-side. Certain moments between Erivo and Grande have since gone viral and become a topic of discussion, fuelling speculations that their friendship has turned into something romantic. Erivo is dating Lena Waithe, while Grande is dating Ethan Slater.

In her 2025 book, 'Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They're Too Much', Erivo also revealed that she and Grande had a 'pact' to protect each other as they worked on the big-screen adaptation of the hit musical.

'We hear often how female co-stars – or really any co-stars – can sometimes let their egos get in the way until they battle each other, destroying the creative process for everyone involved', wrote Erivo. 'We were determined to do the opposite. To be the opposite. To build on each other's strengths, to encourage the other, to see if, like our voices, we could become more than the sum of our parts.'

Ariana Grande Previously Addressed the Connection

Grande also previously touched on their relationship in an appearance on Amy Poehler's 'Good Hang' podcast, including the hand-holding.

'I do, I do. I channel a lot of energy through my hands. And so I'm always holding a hand', Grande said at the time. 'I'm always like, squeezing a something, as you've learned. I'm always reaching for something sometimes.'

'Yeah, I like to channel support and energy...I didn't even notice that it was a thing about me until that thing happened', said Grande, referring to an interview with Out where she held Erivo's finger during a moment when the pair did not know how to respond.

'Yeah, because I didn't know what the f-k was going on. I just wanted to be supportive. I was like, "Oh my God" and it felt sweet. It felt beautiful, and it was beautiful,' said Grande.

Sitting down with Paul Mescal on Variety's 'Actors on Actors' in 2024, Grande also called Erivo 'an absolute brilliant gift of a human being.'

'I think we tried to keep the pressure out of the room, obviously, as much as possible,' said Grande.