“I think people didn’t understand how it was possible for two women to be friends — close — and not lovers,” the actress said.

Cynthia Erivo addresses fans’ ‘strange fascination’ with her and Ariana Grande, speculation they ‘were lovers’

"I think people didn't understand how it was possible for two women to be friends — close — and not lovers," the actress said.

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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February 14, 2026 12:17 p.m. ET

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Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in New York City on Nov. 17, 2025. Credit:

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

- Cynthia Erivo reflected on fans' "strange fascination" with her relationship with her *Wicked* costar Ariana Grande.

- "People either thought we were putting it on for the cameras or that we were lovers," the actress said.

- Erivo thinks her friendship with Grande confused onlookers because "a relationship where people are connected sometimes just makes people uncomfortable."

Cynthia Erivo knows what you're saying about her relationship with Ariana Grande.

The *Harriet *actress recently reflected on her hyper-scrutinized friendship with her *Wicked* costar, which led to widespread speculation that they are a couple.

"At first, I think people didn't understand how it was possible for two women to be friends — close — and not lovers," Erivo told the U.K. outlet *Stylist*, noting that observers assumed the relationship was either performative or more than platonic. "I've never really spoken about this, but there was this strange fascination with the two of us, where people either thought we were putting it on for the cameras or that we were lovers."

Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in 'Wicked: For Good'.

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

The *Bad Times at the El Royale* actress hypothesized that the relationship confused onlookers because emotional intimacy between women is underdiscussed in the media. "I think it's because there's such little conversation around platonic female friendship that is deep and real, even though it exists everywhere," Erivo said. "We're not used to seeing it on camera, in front of people."

The actress continued, "A relationship where people are connected sometimes just makes people uncomfortable; we aren't taught that those relationships are good for us."

Erivo addressed working with Grande in an interview with EW's *The Awardist* podcast in December. "I like quiet and solitude in order to focus in, and she would need contact or just a moment of connectivity before we could begin," she said of her costar. "I think knowing that, having no prep time, meant that we could be influenced by the elements in the best possible way."

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Erivo is coming off perhaps the busiest year of her career so far. In 2025, she starred in *Wicked: For Good*; published her book *Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They're Too Much*; released her second solo album, *I Forgive You*; hosted the Tony Awards; performed as Jesus in *Jesus Christ Superstar* at the Hollywood Bowl; and received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on *Poker Face*.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in New York City on Nov. 17, 2025.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty

The actress currently stars as all 23 characters in a production of *Dracula* on the West End stage. Erivo explained her process for portraying so many alter egos simultaneously in her conversation with *Stylist*. "It takes you to a lot of different places mentally, because you have to find out who each of the characters are," Erivo said. "Maybe one or two exist for a line or two, but every other character has a full arc of their own. So you need to find out physically who they are, mentally who they are, and vocally who they are."

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She continued, "It ends up feeling like you're creating a bit of an orchestra; everyone has their own melody and rhythm. I'm going back to the root of what I do – finding characters and figuring out how to bring them to life. It's not easy, because there are a lot of them, but I'm enjoying it."**

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