Cynthia Erivo has defended her close friendship with Ariana Grande, describing the public scrutiny of their relationship as a “double-edged sword”.
The actresses became close while promoting the 2024 and 2025 films Wicked and Wicked: For Good. In an interview with The Guardian, Erivo addressed the criticism and speculation surrounding their off-screen bond.
Erivo said she found it strange that people had taken to analysing the pair’s relationship, saying many had become amateur psychologists studying them “from their couches”.
She said it was particularly unusual that some people appeared to be “annoyed” that “two women could actually be friends”.
The actress also said members of the public had questioned whether the emotional connection between the two stars was genuine, and struggled to understand why they cried, laughed and displayed such visible emotion together.
Erivo characterised the reaction as a “double-edged sword”, saying: “If we were dead behind the eyes and showing no emotion, there would have been something else to say about it.”
She added that it might have helped if both actresses had been given guidance on how to balance their emotional expression in public.
