Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are sparking fresh chatter after a moment from the original Wicked press tour resurfaced, showing the pair in yet another unusually intimate red-carpet exchange.
In the video, filmed during promotion for the first film, Erivo pauses an interview to meticulously adjust Grande’s diamond necklace — and keeps at it long enough that viewers weren’t convinced anything actually needed fixing. Grande, laughing, tells the reporter: “Something is bothering her, she’s going to fix something. I know her.”
Erivo explains that “something’s not right” as she rotates the necklace to its clasp and then back again. Even as the interviewer moves on to the next question, she continues fiddling while Grande smiles through the moment.
The clip has since gone viral, becoming the latest entry in the duo’s growing catalogue of affectionate, and occasionally eccentric, press-tour interactions.
Only days earlier, the pair made headlines in Paris after describing each other’s “auras” on the red carpet in vivid technicolour: Grande choosing “yellow… sunshine” and “purple,” while Erivo saw “ciel blue, aqua, and sunset-orange.”
Erivo has also recently addressed last year’s widely-shared “holding space” interview with Out Magazine, telling GQ it was simply “an innocent moment of confusion and human reaction.” She added that some fans now approach her asking to reenact the viral clip by holding her finger — a trend she admitted she “hates.”
Both actors appeared at the 16th Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. Grande wore a pale-pink vintage Dior gown by John Galliano, styled with a sleek up-do, while Erivo opted for a striking Givenchy coat dress with dramatic fringe.
Their renewed visibility follows a far more serious moment last week in Singapore, when Grande was grabbed by a man who jumped a barrier on the yellow carpet. Erivo was the first to intervene, diving towards her co-star before bodyguards reached the singer.
The assailant — identified as Johnson Wen, who has previously rushed Katy Perry on stage — was arrested at the scene and has since been jailed. Grande’s security is now understood to be increasing ahead of the sequel’s release.
Wicked: For Good arrives in UK cinemas on 21 November.
