Questions over Cynthia Erivo’s friendship with Ariana Grande draw her response

In a new interview with The Guardian, Cynthia Erivo addressed the chatter that followed her and Ariana Grande through the Wicked press tour — from the tearful sit-downs to that now-viral finger-holding moment — and questioned why ordinary displays of affection became internet sleuth material.

“It was interesting that there were many people who had become psychologists from their couches,” she said.

Erivo, who plays Elphaba opposite Grande’s Glinda, called the scrutiny a “double-edged sword,” noting that some viewers seemed oddly uncomfortable with two women showing open, supportive friendship on camera. She even joked that if there were someone who could prescribe the “proper balance of emotion” for press days, she’d take the advice — because any hug or tear risked being spun into a theory.

Beyond the press-tour chatter

Erivo is turning that focus on perception to her next project, Prima Facie, a courtroom drama adapted from Suzie Miller’s acclaimed play. She stars as Tessa, a high-powered barrister who routinely defends men accused of sexual violence until a personal assault forces her to confront the very system she works within.

“If a person isn’t conscious, or conscious enough to say yes, they’re not saying yes,” Erivo told The Guardian. “If a person doesn’t say yes, they don’t say yes. If the body language doesn’t say yes, they don’t say yes.”

Erivo said she wants the film to push beyond post-screening conversations and into real policy discussions. She added that judges and lawyers have already seen the production, and argued that broader public understanding of consent needs to inform how the law approaches these cases.