· Cynthia Erivo is shutting down rumors that she and Ariana Grande were romantically involved during their “Wicked” press tour.
· In an interview with “The Stylist,” Cynthia said people seemed confused by how two women could be extremely close friends without it being romantic.
· She said the attention quickly turned into people assuming their bond was either “for the cameras” or that they were “lovers.”
· Cynthia explained that deep, platonic female friendships are not shown publicly enough, and when they are, people sometimes react with discomfort.
· Her quote: “A relationship where people are connected sometimes just makes people uncomfortable; we aren’t taught that those relationships are good for us.”
· Cynthia and Ariana’s friendship went viral throughout the “Wicked” rollout, especially after fans noticed they had multiple matching tattoos.
· Their bond also made headlines after Cynthia physically stepped in to protect Ariana during the red carpet crasher incident.
· Cynthia also revealed in her book, “Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much,” that she and Ariana made a “pact” to protect each other.
· Cynthia wrote that they were determined to “build on each other’s strengths,” and be supportive in a way that felt different from what people expected.