Under the harsh white lights of a film junket, where every gesture is photographed and every glance spun into content, Ariana Grande reached for Cynthia Erivo's hand. Cameras flashed, clips travelled, and within days a new label was born on social media: a 'non-demi-curious, semi-binary relationship.'
It sounds like the kind of over-engineered identity term a bored TikTok committee might dream up at 3 a.m. In reality, it was never a real confession, never a formal 'soft launch' of a relationship, and certainly not a phrase either woman has actually used. But the internet treated it as if they had.
The rumours took root during the press tour forWicked: Part One— retitledWicked: For Goodin some campaign material — where Erivo, 38, who plays Elphaba, and Grande, 32, who plays Glinda, seemed almost inseparable. They walked carpets side by side. They held hands in interviews. They looked, in the language of social media, 'soft' with each other.
From there, a series of posts from unverified accounts did the rest. One widely shared claim declared that Erivo and Grande had 'revealed' they were in a 'non-demi-curious, semi-binary relationship.' Another added fake elaboration, attributing a full explanation to Erivo: 'It means we're not actually a couple, but we're curious about what that could mean — and everything,' she supposedly said, 'with a playful tone.'
There is no record of her ever saying this. No video. No audio. No transcript from any legitimate outlet. Just screenshots, reposts and breathless commentary layered over something that simply did not happen.
One viral caption tried to tidy up the confusion for fans, framing it as a joke gone wrong: 'Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande stirred up the internet when a strange, joking quote about their "non-demi-curious semi-binary relationship" went viral... Cynthia later clarified that it only meant they are not an actual couple, but were playfully curious about the idea — nothing serious, just lighthearted banter.' Again, there is no verified interview to back that up. It is speculation dressed as explanation, and people shared it anyway.
Where the online commentary takes huge liberties, the real women involved have been considerably more grounded. Grande addressed the fascination with their physical closeness on Amy Poehler'sGood Hangpodcast, and her answer was spectacularly unscandalous.
(#AD) — Cynthia Erivo opened up about why she and Ariana are always holding hands, hugging, and staying physically connected. She says physical touch is how they communicate, especially in moments where words don’t work.She also noted that she’s single, so closeness with…pic.twitter.com/kdUKGLx5T0
'I channel a lot of energy through my hands,' she said. 'And so I'm always holding a hand. I'm always, like, squeezing a something, as you've learned. I'm always reaching for something sometimes.'
In other words: she is touchy, she is affectionate, and when she is nervous or energised, that ends up being someone's hand. In this case, often Erivo's.
Source: International Business Times UK
