Cynthia Erivo
Ari and I are just close friends
Contrary to ‘Popular’ belief
Published
February 15, 2026
10:20 AM PST
Cynthia Erivo is clearing the air after months of online speculation that she and Ariana Grande were secretly more than just Wicked co-stars.
During the press tour for Wicked, fans dissected every emotional interview as well as each lingering hug and hand hold between the two … with some social media users insisting their bond looked romantic.
In a recent interview, Cynthia addressed what she called a “strange fascination” with their friendship, explaining that some people struggled to understand how two women could be deeply close without it turning into a love story. She made clear there was no secret relationship … just a genuine connection forged while bringing Elphaba and Glinda to life.
Of course, the speculation never lined up with reality. Ariana is dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater and has been publicly linked to him since production on the film began.
Meanwhile, Cynthia keeps her own love life relatively private but has been in a long-term relationship with actress and producer Lena Waithe.
So there you have it … no behind the scenes romance here … just two performers whose tight bond got wildly overanalyzed in the age of viral press tours.
