In recent weeks, we’ve learned that the relationship between Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo has been on the rocks since filming Wicked. They might not have been romantically involved, but I haven’t felt this depressed about a breakup since Lily Phillips and Drake – check, it’s a real thing.
“Ariana and Cynthia definitely forged a bond while filming both Wicked and the sequel, but the truth is they never hung out when the cameras weren’t around,” a source close to the pair earlier told the MailOnline.
“They were never best friends out of the spotlight. Their relationship was purely professional. Right now they’re moving in totally different directions career-wise.”
Despite Cynthia being Ariana’s “rock” amid so-called concerned comments about her weight, the two have seemingly been taking a break from their publicly intense friendship.
Credit: Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures/Shutterstock
Why didn’t Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo get nominations at The Oscars?
We don’t have long to wait until the 2026 Academy Awards, and when the nominations were announced last week, many people expected to see Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s names up there. We couldn’t have been more wrong, despite the first film getting 10 nods.
Anonymous voters for The Oscars spoke to NewsNation about their collective decision to snub Wicked: For Good, and while the “movie wasn’t that great” compared to the first one, it seemed to boil down to Ariana and Cynthia.
They explained: “I was also just completely turned off by their promotional performances. They creeped a lot of people out and in their rush to feel authentic, came off as cosplaying.”
so what i’m hearing is,
“i didn’t vote for Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo because i’m uncomfortable watching two women have an emotionally expressive friendship.” https://t.co/DJrgFXN46V
— bry (@cartierbry) January 25, 2026
Another anonymous hater said the iconic duo “sucked the air” out of all of the public events.
“The movie wasn’t that good and (Erivo and Grande) sucked the air out of any red carpet they were on — and no one wanted to go through that again,” they added. “Think of it this way: We were protecting Ariana from her anxiety — and Cynthia from having to intervene. Again.”
So, let me get this straight: They had one of the most iconic friendships of 2024/2025, gave us so many viral moments, confused the entire planet with nail-holding and jarring antics, and they didn’t get a single Oscar nomination? The world is a cruel, cruel place.
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Featured image credit: Mark Von Holden/Shutterstock for Audi
