Cynthia Erivo shielded her 'Wicked: For Good' co-star Ariana Grande from an overzealous fan who broke through the crowd and rushed toward her during the film's Singapore premiere earlier this month. Erivo immediately stepped in, pushing the man away from Grande. The fan, later identified as 26-year-old Australian Johnson Wen, was arrested and jailed in connection with the incident.
Video of the alarming moment quickly went viral on social media. While many praised Erivo for her quick action, others responded with inappropriate jokes and memes at her expense.
On Nov. 28, Instagram creator @thefilmdiva posted a reel addressing the incident. She expressed discomfort with the viral clips and called out the underlying misogyny in how Erivo was being portrayed.
"These videos of Cynthia erivo are not funny in my opinion and it’s getting a bit weird... I don’t know if I’m the only one thinking this. Let me know your opinion," she captioned the video.
The comments were flooded with messages of support for Erivo, including one from Grammy-winning artist SZA, who said, "Ir not bugging and no one is too woke ! It’s CLASSIC Misogynoir! NOTHING ELSE !!! 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."
Cynthia Erivo speaks out
In a Nov. 20 interview with TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, Erivo reflected on the moment.
{{/usCountry}}In a Nov. 20 interview with TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, Erivo reflected on the moment.
{{/usCountry}}“I wasn’t really thinking,” Erivo said. “I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe. I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but you never know with those things, and I wanted to make sure that she was OK. That was my first instinct."
Erivo and Grande formed a close friendship while filming the two 'Wicked' movies.
"This is a long-lasting friendship for us," Erivo told Guthrie. "We're kind of like sisters at this moment. And I think we’ve both learned from each other and given each other some really, really beautiful gifts. We’ve really looked after each other through this."
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False rumors about their relationship
Erivo and Grande have often been inseparable during the films' promotional tours, leading to many viral moments.
This also sparked an online rumor claiming the two were in a "non-demi-curious, semi-binary relationship," accompanied by a fabricated quote allegedly from Erivo: "It means we’re not actually a couple, but we’re curious about what that could mean — and everything."
This claim is entirely false. Erivo never made such a statement.