Cynthia Erivo Speaks Out About The Racist Impetus Behind Those Memes Of Her As Ariana Grande's 'Bodyguard'

Back in November 2025, Cynthia Erivo memorably defended Ariana Grande from being grabbed by an overly enthusiastic fan during their walk down the red carpet at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good.

Erivo's swift reaction when no one else stepped in should have been inspiring, or at least heartwarming, given the nature of Erivo and Grande's friendship. However, it instead inspired an onslaught of internet memes, some of which were incredibly sexist and racist in nature.

It's not uncommon for Cynthia Erivo to be criticized in public as a talented, queer, Black woman from the UK. But since her Wicked chapter, during which she strongly advocated for production details that were inclusive in nature, like Elphaba's microbraids, it remains important to discuss how she's been portrayed in the media.

That was exactly what she wanted to address during her most recent interview with Variety, specifically the racist undertones of much of the commentary and internet memes that circulated about her.

Referring back to that night in November 2025, Erivo pointed out:

“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 read this and think, ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, it’s not about that.’ But it is."

"Because that’s what was being made fun of. It was my physique; it was my shape; it was the fact that I was bald; it was about what I looked like."

"And because of that, there was this assumption that I was bigger than my co-star, and so I had to be controlling or protecting, and that was my role."

"I would hazard a guess that it would not have been the same had it been the other way around.”

Fans agreed with Erivo's interpretation and felt that there was a deeper meaning to the conversation that needed to be addressed.

Erivo additionally addressed how her friendship with Grande was commonly misconstrued.

“It’s very interesting, watching what people’s perception is versus what the reality actually is."

"Lots of psychologists seated at home deciding who we were, what we were going through, what we were doing, and why."

"I think that people didn’t really believe that we were actually friends."

"But that’s also because people don’t know me very well. If I’m a friend, then I’m a friend. If I’m not, then I’m not.”

Though the Wicked film are how some people know Erivo, she was already a Tony, Grammy, and Emmy award winner before the films, and she's gone on to star as a female Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar and a one-woman production in London of Dracula.

It seems that Erivo is now trying to distance herself from her iconic role as Elphaba, though it's unclear if it's because of the harmful commentary, the other work she wishes to talk about, or both.

So, during the interview with Vanity, she dismissed a request to do Elphaba's famous "Defying Gravity" riff, as well as other questions about the film, pointing out:

"Do you mind if we do another question that isn't about 'Wicked'?"

"Because I feel like I've spent the last two years talking about it, and I think that we have opportunities to discuss something else."

"Is that okay?"

"I love 'Wicked,' but I've just talked about it... ad nauseum."

Fans were heartbroken to see Erivo want to distance herself from an era that was so important to her.

They also wanted to honor the fact that Erivo was much more than "just" Elphaba.

There's a lot to unpack from this interview, but most importantly, it seems Erivo would like to see some accountability for the more problematic commentary that circulated regarding her identity, her relationship with Grande, and her role within Wicked itself.

But we can continue to discuss those important matters while honoring the fact that she's moved on to other projects, as well.