Cynthia Erivo has spoken about the intense scrutiny she faced during the global press tour forWicked, saying online reactions to a viral moment involving Ariana Grande left her feeling that her 'humanity had been bastardised'.
Speaking in a recent interview withVariety, the British actress reflected on the pressure surrounding the two-partWickedfilm adaptation and the online commentary that followed several high-profile appearances alongside Grande. Erivo said audiences often blurred the line between her real personality and her role as Elphaba in the musical fantasy franchise.
Attention around the issue resurfaced after a widely shared moment from the Singapore premiere ofWicked: For Good, where Erivo stepped in after a man crossed a barrier and grabbed Grande during a crowded public appearance. The incident later sparked memes and social media jokes portraying Erivo as Grande's 'bodyguard'.
Erivo described the Singapore incident as frightening and said her reaction was instinctive after security staff initially failed to intervene. According to the actress, the man grabbed Grande during the event and refused to let go immediately, prompting Erivo to physically step in and separate him from her co-star.
Grande has previously spoken publicly about living with post-traumatic stress disorder following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, where 22 people were killed after one of her concerts.
#CynthiaErivosays the controversy surrounding the#WickedForGoodSingapore premiere discouraged her from campaigning for an Oscar:“I just felt like my humanity had been bastardized. I felt like something I did instinctively had been made to be something that it simply was not…pic.twitter.com/VwJlVzHPwm
Although many online users praised Erivo for reacting quickly, clips from the incident also circulated widely on TikTok and other social media platforms, where some users joked that she was acting as Grande's personal security guard.
Erivo later said the backlash affected her emotionally and contributed to feelings that her actions had been unfairly distorted online.
The actress also argued that some reactions reflected wider assumptions about Black women and physical appearance. Erivo said jokes and memes surrounding the incident often focused on her physique, shaved head and appearance, which she believed contributed to perceptions that she was aggressive or controlling.
Cynthia Erivo responds to jokes about her being Ariana Grande’s “bodyguard” after defending her from an intruder on the ‘WICKED: FOR GOOD’ red carpet:“I think that we haven’t really come to terms with the insidious nature of how we view Black women. And I’m sure people will…pic.twitter.com/Jf5thXUHLk
Source: International Business Times UK
