Fans Cry Foul After Interviewer Presses Cynthia Erivo About Being 'Tough' Despite Her Discomfort

As magical as our two-year Wicked era has been, it unfortunately has not been a totally perfect and beautiful journey.

Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda) have toured extensively in the past two years to promote the film duology. While most of the conversations have been productive, there have unfortunately been remarks made by viewers and interviewers that have been nothing short of sexist, homophobic, and racist.

Throughout the promotion of the first film, Wicked, there were racist comments made about a Black actress portraying Elphaba, as well as Cynthia Erivo's portrayal of Elphaba with her long, decorated nails and microbraids.

Erivo's treatment in the public eye has worsened in the last few weeks after Wicked: For Good's red carpet premiere in Singapore, when an aggressive fan broke through the security line and grabbed Ariana Grande. Erivo was the first to respond by putting her body between Grande and the fan and yelling at the fan to leave her friend alone.

Since the incident in Singapore, a concerning amount of commentary has circulated about Cynthia Erivo's body type, her muscle definition, her interests in weight training and running, and her role as a protector. These comments have not been complimentary; they're racial microaggressions, suggesting a lesser role of Erivo as the protector and Grande as the successful performer.

An unidentified interviewer at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival played into this when he repeatedly and condescendingly asked Erivo about her "toughness."

Historically, Black women have often had their needs dismissed, and they've been labeled as "tough," "masculine," and "aggressive," both to accuse them of overreacting to racist comments and actions and to justify their mistreatment under the guise that they can "handle it."

In Erivo's case, the emphasis has shifted from her talent, accomplishments, and her love for music and theater to something much more limiting: her ability to protect and comfort her costar.

As his final question, the interviewer asked:

"When did you know you were tough?"

Erivo looked surprised and tried to downplay it:

"Am I?"

The interviewer pushed the subject:

"I think so."

Erivo changed the word choice:

"I mean, I think I'm strong."

The interviewer downplayed her comment.

"Tough and strong?"

Erivo attempted to give a nuanced answer, while her PR representative looked on.

"I think I'm strong. I think I'm vulnerable. I think I'm a myriad of different things."

The interview would not let go of the dismissive "tough" narrative.

"A protector, too? I mean, you're tough. You're a tough person. You're strong."

Erivo attempted to stick with her nuanced answer.

"I think I'm strong, and I think I also can be protective, too."

"You know what I mean? I think we can be both. I think it's okay for us to be both strong, protected, and protective; that's okay."

The interviewer finally got the hint and ended the interview.

You can watch the clip here:

Viewers on Twitter (X) were furious on Erivo's behalf.

@_branmaraj/Twitter (X)

The interview also spread to the "popculturechat" subReddit, where Redditors were saddened to see Erivo's accomplishments diminished in this way.

"It's crazy because she comes across as such a soft, feminine woman to me. But as a Black woman, I know what they mean with 'tough.'" - Charmy1989

"That incredible moment where she protected a friend and someone she cares about from being further attacked by a creep ended up being something people use to be racist s**tbags to her. It’s absolutely disgusting. But considering the internet, unsurprising." - Bellesdiner0228

"I don’t understand the conflicting labels on the internet for her?!! On some days, she is called tough, which has racist connotations, and on other days, she is 'worryingly skinny.' It’s like Women of Color simply cannot win!"

"I never followed the 'Wicked' press tour last year, and her 'Actors on Actors' interview with Angelina was the very first time I got to see her real-life personality. She came across as such an elegant, graceful woman who exhibited tremendous humility. There was nothing remotely unlikeable about her." - MissusCrispyCole

"As a Black woman, this kind of rhetoric is so exhausting. Stop trying to masculinize us unless we are specifically looking for it! Nobody would ask this question of her co-star. Go look at the recent drawings and memes coming out of this situation. She’s getting flak and racist responses for helping defend her co-star. It’s disgusting." - noexqses

"This person really tried it. The amount of scrutiny and racist jokes Black Queer women face has gone on for too long. It needs to be called out, and we should put a stop to it."

"Because what I saw in that press moment was a woman protecting another woman who was being harassed. My first thought was, 'I’d want a friend like Cynthia,' because there’s nothing like having a friend who makes you feel safe. So to twist this into dragging a woman down is unacceptable." - johnny_charms

Since the original Wicked tour, Erivo and Grande have openly celebrated the multitudes that can be found in people if we're willing to look for them. Grande pointed out during her first lie detector test that she believes that we all have "goodness and wickedness within" us in various amounts, which is part of what makes us human and what individualizes us.

This aligns beautifully with what Erivo said during this interview, pointing out that we can be "both." Sometimes we're going to be vulnerable, or funny, or serious, or angry, all of which is okay and part of what makes us human, not what makes us "more" or "less" than those around us.