Cynthia Erivo on her bond with ‘Wicked’ costar Ariana Grande: ‘If I’m a friend, then I’m a friend’ |

Cynthia Erivo has addressed speculation about her friendship with Ariana Grande, clarifying their close bond during the ‘Wicked’ promotions. Erivo revealed they text daily and supported each other, dismissing public perceptions as inaccurate. She described the ‘Wicked’ experience as life-changing, a sentiment echoed in her memoir where she detailed their pact to foster a positive creative environment.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s friendship was the hot topic of discussion during promotions for the ‘Wicked’ franchise. Though there had always been rumours swirling that the two co-stars were not actually friends, and that it was strictly work for them, in a recent interview, Erivo weighed in on the matter and putting the speculation to rest.

Cynthia Erivo talks about her friendship with Ariana Grande

While in conversation with Variety, Erivo discussed how life has been for her after the ‘Wicked’ franchise. During the interview, she even addresses some baseless rumours about how she and Ariana Grande are not friends in real life.The 39-year-old said, “I think that people didn’t really believe that we were actually friends. But that’s also because people don’t know me very well. If I’m a friend, then I’m a friend. If I’m not, then I’m not.” She added that the two were quite close at the time and were often just trying to help each other get through the day.She also commented, “It’s very interesting, watching what people’s perception is versus what the reality actually is. Lots of psychologists seated at home deciding who we were, what we were going through, what we were doing, and why.” She added that the two of them text each other almost every day and are still close friends.As for the ‘Wicked’ franchise, the actress commented that it was a “storm in a teacup”, and that it “took over everything and beautifully changed my life.”

Cynthia Erivo mentions Ariana Grande in memoir

This is not the first time that the actress has spoken up about her bond with Ariana Grande. Last year, when Erivo released her memoir titled ‘ Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much’, she opened up about how close they are and that they even made a pact when they were cast together for the films.She wrote in the book that “We hear often how female costars —­ or really, any costars —­ can sometimes let their egos get in the way until they battle each other, destroying the creative process for everyone involved. We were determined to do the opposite.”