A Press Tour Full of Laughter and Then a Shift in Tone
The Wicked press tour was filled with moments that brought joy and laughter to fans. From Cynthia Erivo’s supportive gestures to Ariana Grande’s encouraging touches during interviews, the two leads playing Elphaba and Glinda provided content that kept fans entertained for weeks. The chaotic nature of the tour was a welcome change after a long period without such events, and fans found themselves united in the weirdness.
However, things quickly took a turn. What was once light-hearted fun became something much darker and heartbreaking to witness. The narrative surrounding Cynthia Erivo grew toxic, making it difficult for many to keep up with the discussions. Previously, reading comments under posts about the Wicked interviews and premieres was an enjoyable experience, but now, those spaces had turned into cesspools of negativity.
While some might label Cynthia as a diva for choosing not to answer more questions about Wicked in a recent interview, it’s hard to blame her. When asked to sing the Gravity riff in an interview with Variety, she simply responded: “No. 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 another opportunity to start talking about something else. Is that OK? I love Wicked, but I’ve just talked about it ad nauseam.”
Even with her polite and professional response, her next comments revealed the pain that had come from what was once the most special moment of her career.
A Heroic Moment That Was Misunderstood
Cynthia spoke about the incident where she rushed to protect Ariana Grande at the Singapore red-carpet premiere. She acted faster than the security guards, attempting to separate Ariana from the attacker. What I saw was a true hero rushing to help her close friend, but others accused her of overreacting, using the situation to perpetuate the stereotype of the strong Black woman.
Finally, Cynthia is calling out the misinterpretations. She explained her perspective on the incident for the first time, stating: “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.”
She went on to describe how the focus was on her physical appearance, including her physique, shape, and baldness, leading to assumptions that she was bigger than her co-star and therefore had to be controlling or protective. “I would hazard a guess that it would not have been the same had it been the other way around.”
What struck me at the time was that no one seemed concerned about Cynthia’s safety after the incident. While the ambusher targeted Ariana, very few considered that Cynthia’s well-being was also at risk. She rushed to protect Ariana, but where was the protection for Cynthia?
Rumours and Misconceptions
Mind-numbingly unoriginal trolls used the incident to fuel rumours that the stars were secretly dating. Throughout the Wicked tour, there were growing whispers that the heightened level of closeness between Cynthia and Ariana could only mean they were romantically involved. However, much of the conversation focused on Cynthia, rather than the relationship itself.
As someone with a tight-knit group of lifelong female friends, I understand the power of sisterhood, even if we aren’t as tactical as Ariana and Cynthia. But it breaks my heart that she has had to defend every action during the Wicked promo run when, ultimately, she did nothing wrong.
This is a clear example of misogynoir, a nuanced form of prejudice that combines racism towards Black women with misogyny. Cynthia is uniquely positioned to call this out. She has the confidence to speak up, even when it’s unpopular, as she acknowledged in her interview: “People will read this and think, ‘Oh, for goodness sake, it’s not about that.’ But it is.”
A Voice of Strength and Clarity
It’s refreshing to hear from someone in her position. Cynthia is a formidable talent and a Black British export to be proud of. Hopefully, what she experienced throughout the Wicked era wasn’t so detrimental that it dulled her light. However, her current unwillingness to continue discussing it might indicate that the pain still runs deep.
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