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Cynthia Erivo has opened up about the emotional impact of the online reaction that followed a frightening moment during the Wicked: For Good press tour in Singapore, revealing that the backlash affected her decision to step back from a major Oscar campaign.
The actress recalled the November 2025 incident involving co-star Ariana Grande, when a man jumped over a barrier and grabbed onto the singer during a public appearance.
Erivo immediately intervened, explaining that "nobody moved," so her instinct was simply to protect everyone around her. She said her immediate thought was, "Get him away from us," adding that the man "wouldn't let go" of Grande as security stepped in.
Videos of the moment quickly spread online, but Erivo said the public response became deeply upsetting. Many social media users referred to her as Grande's "bodyguard," while others mocked her appearance and physique.
Reflecting on the reaction, Erivo said, "It was my physique; it was my shape; it was the fact that I was bald; it was about what I looked like."
The actress said the comments highlighted broader assumptions about Black women and how they are perceived publicly. "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," she explained, adding that she doubted the response would have been the same "had it been the other way around."
Erivo said the online commentary left her feeling emotionally drained at a time when she and Grande were already under pressure from years of filming and promotion.
"I just felt like my humanity had been bastardized," she said. "I felt like something I did instinctively had been made to be something that it simply was not."
She also admitted that the experience contributed to her decision not to fully pursue an awards-season campaign for the film. "I didn't want to put myself through it," Erivo explained, adding that she "didn't feel like" she deserved to continue placing herself in that environment.
Despite the difficult experience, Erivo said Wicked ultimately changed her life "beautifully" and strengthened her friendship with Grande. She noted that people often questioned whether their bond was genuine, but insisted they remain close and still communicate almost every day. "If I'm a friend, then I'm a friend," she said.
