From laughter to tears, the Wicked cast has had a remarkable experience throughout both the first and second press tours that came along with the two-part adaptation of the Broadway musical. There have been many ups and downs, primarily with the two lead actresses, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who play Elphaba and Galinda. 

Fans have expressed concerns surrounding the relationship between Erivo and Grande, as many of the clips taken from various interviews indicate they have a “touchy-feely” relationship and seem to be intensely close with one another. On social media, a satirical post became viral, stating that the actresses announced they were in a ‘non-demi-curious, semi-binary relationship.’ This title, of course, is for satirical purposes and is untrue, but it reflects the way that the public views Erivo and Grande’s relationship. 

In reality, the clips of the actresses together could be taken out of context, and those quick to judge should rewatch the full interviews in order to get a better idea of why they are so connected to each other. Both women have poured their hearts and souls into their roles and have been working on Wicked and Wicked: For Good for a couple of years. Spending this much time together and having such a big connection makes their close relationship with each other very reasonable. 

In an interview from the YouTube account “Jake’s Takes,” Jake Hamilton asked Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, “In what ways has the person sitting next to you changed you for good?” Upon hearing this, Grande became highly emotional, and Erivo replied with, “We found a little piece of ourselves in each other.” The clip of Grande crying has become viral in the past year, but many did not even know what the question was that she was asked. As told by Cynthia Erivo, their friendship has become very personal, and it was as if they were missing something in their lives, which they were able to find within each other through Wicked. 

Even though their emotional responses can be justified, the public has decided to become worried about other aspects of their lives, such as their weight. Ariana Grande has had many comments from fans about her body throughout her whole life, and has expressed her thoughts on this sort of body shaming in the past. In recent months, though, many have been comparing Erivo and Grande’s bodies from before and after Wicked pictures, and have made jokes that they are on Ozempic. It is understandable that fans could be concerned about their weight loss, but some are blatantly making fun of their bodies without thinking about how they will receive this hate. Regardless, it is more concerning that people are focusing their lives on celebrities’ personal business rather than their own. 

Shifting to the other members of the Wicked cast, they have been shown in a much more positive light than Erivo and Grande. Michelle Yeoh, who plays Madame Morrible, has created a meme through her continuous line that she repeated in almost every interview she had. There are a bunch of compilations of her saying, “Madame Morrible, MM, flip it around, Wicked Witch,” that have been a hilarious find for fans. Aside from the hate that Cynthia Erivo gets, her reactions to questions have also been turned into countless memes on social media that a majority finds funny. 

Jonathan Bailey, who plays Fiyero, has also gained positive recognition, especially considering he won People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2025. Viewers have been highly supportive of his role as Fiyero and were happy to see him throughout the press tour. Ethan Slater, who stars as Boq, has always been very prominent since his relationship with Ariana Grande started. Many fans have made fun of his appearance and his role as SpongeBob in the Broadway musical. Although in an interview with E! News, he was told, “You are a lot of people’s celebrity crushes,” and he responded with, “That can’t be right,” which has changed people’s views on him as being more aware, and they found his response very humorous.

Whether fans are positive or negative towards the Wicked cast, it can be said that their press tour has been jam-packed with emotions, and they are all surely ‘holding space’ for one another.