Ariana Grande’s latest behind-the-scenes photo from Wicked was meant to mark an emotional goodbye, but it quickly ignited concern among netizens online.
The image, shared as part of her farewell to her character Glinda the Good, showed the actress in full costume and makeup holding a lollipop as tears streamed down her face.
While many fans saw Grande’s post as a show of vulnerability, others interpreted it as yet another troubling sign of the award-winning singer’s well-being.
Ariana Grande posted a tearful goodbye to Glinda after five and a half years
Ariana Grande posted a gallery of photos to Instagram capturing her final moments as Glinda, the role she played for more than five years across both Wicked films.
The most talked-about image featured Grande crying openly in her Glinda gown, giving a thumbs-up while tears ran down her face. She captioned the post, “bubble things five and a half years with G.”
Other photos showed several behind-the-scenes moments from the Wicked set, including hair and makeup touch-ups and a candid Polaroid selfie with director Jon M. Chu, according to the Daily Mail.
Fans reacted to Ariana Grande’s photos with concern, criticism, and fierce defense
Image credits: arianagrande/Instagram
As Grande’s Instagram photos spread across social media, reactions from netizens quickly became polarized. Some expressed alarm, interpreting the emotional photo as a sign that something deeper might be wrong.
“Ariana Grande is dy*ng,” one user on X wrote. “Everyday she looks worst (sic),” another stated.
Others insisted they had seen this coming. “I knew something was wrong and I told y’all, y’all said I was hating,” one person claimed.
But not everyone agreed with the negative framing. Many fans pushed back hard, defending Grande and criticizing the speculations surrounding the award-winning singer.
“She looks fine. Leave her alone,” one comment countered.
Another added, “It doesn’t seem like anyone around her is even remotely bothered by it.”
Ariana Grande previously wrote an emotional open letter to Wicked fans
This was not the first time Grande publicly said goodbye to her role as Glinda the Good. Back in November, she shared a lengthy open letter after Wicked: For Good premiered to record-breaking box office numbers.
In the message, she described the Land of Oz as her “safe space” and reflected on lessons she learned through the story, including how “to love unconditionally,” “to forgive,” and “to fiercely protect ourselves and each other.”
“Becoming your Glinda the Good and being asked to join this most wonderful group of human beings on a most creatively and emotionally fulfilling journey was the greatest gift of my life,” she wrote.
“I have learned more from my time with Glinda than anyone. Whenever things get scary or you feel alone, home is wherever and with whomever we want it to be,” she wrote in her letter, signing off as “Your Glinda.”
Grande’s reflections were received positively by fans of the blockbuster franchise.
“Ariana out here writing the sweetest love letter to her Glinda era full main-character energy and pure Broadway sparkle,” one fan wrote on X.
“You can feel how much this role meant to her… So genuine,” another wrote.
“Ariana talking about Glinda like it changed her whole soul, this is beautiful,” a third commenter wrote.
Ariana Grande’s tearful goodbye to Glinda mirrored co-star Cynthia Erivo’s farewell to the Wicked franchise
Grande’s farewell followed a similarly emotional goodbye from her co-star Cynthia Erivo, who portrayed Elphaba.
Erivo shared her own message on Instagram, where she reflected on her journey as Wicked’s main character. As per Erivo, no words or numbers could fully capture what the experience meant to her.
“I could write you an essay, a poem, Shakespearean prose, to describe what this journey has meant to me, what lessons this time has taught me, bought me,” she wrote in her post.
“I could try to give a metric to the love I have felt and experienced. I could give a number to the stories I have heard. The truth is the numbers are too small and the words are not enough.”
“So I’ll simply say this. Take my hand and walk with me to the end of this road paved with gold and hopefully, the things that I’ve found, might find you too. Thank you for letting me be your Elphaba.”
Wicked: For Good became one of the biggest box-office stories of the year, opening to $150 million in North America and $226 million worldwide in its debut weekend.
The film has since crossed $518 million globally, cementing its place as one of the most successful musical adaptations to date.
Netizens shared their thoughts about Ariana Grande’s tearful Instagram post on social media
