Cynthia Erivo Defends "Wicked" Costar Ariana Grande Against 'Dangerous' Cyberbullying
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Cynthia-Erivo-Ariana-Grande-cyberbullying-120624-tout-bd3589d4eb734eac8a0865ae1879ae96.jpg)
12/06/2024 11:06 AM
The British actress, who plays Elphaba to Grande's Glinda in 'Wicked,' stood up for her costar amidst online criticisms over her appearance
Santiago Felipe/Getty
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo attend a special New York City 'Wicked' screening Dec. 3, 2024Cynthia Erivo's got Ariana Grande's back for good.
The British actress, 37, who stars alongside Grande, 31, in the blockbuster musical hit Wicked as "wicked witch" Elphaba to Grande's Glinda, is speaking out in defense of the pop star amid criticisms surrounding her appearance.
"Cyber bullying is quite dangerous," Erivo told an audience at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 6 (per The Hollywood Reporter) when asked about recent online criticisms directed at her costar. "It's easy to be behind a computer and type words about a person you don't know."
The Broadway star urged fans to "be the counterpoint" to online trolls.
"Be the person who tells the positive," she added. "What a person who has never met you thinks is never more important than what you think of yourself."
Arnold Jerocki/Getty
Cynthia Erivo attends the Red Sea International Film Festival on Dec. 5Erivo's comments come after Grande spoke out while on the Wicked press tour about criticisms she's received for her appearance. In a joint interview with Erivo and French content creator Crazy Sally, the "Side to Side" singer opened up about dealing with the comments throughout her career.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"I've been doing this in front of the public and been a specimen in a Petri dish really since I was 16 or 17. I have heard it all," the visibly emotional performer said. "I've heard every version of it. You're young and you're hearing all kinds of things."
Calling the comments "dangerous for all parties involved," Grande added, "It's hard to protect yourself from that noise. It's something that is uncomfortable no matter what scale you're experiencing it on, even if you go to Thanksgiving dinner and someone's granny says 'Oh my god you look skinnier, what happened?' or 'you look heavier what happened?'."
Universal Pictures
Ariana Grande as Glinda in 'Wicked'Related: Welcome to Shiz! Ariana Grande Gives Fans a Glimpse of a Morning in Her Life on The Wicked Set
In addition to Erivo's support, Grande is also grateful for the people she surrounds herself with for their encouragement amidst the critical comments.
"I'm really lucky to have the support system that I have and to just know and trust that I'm beautiful," she said. "But I do know what the pressure of that noise feels like. It's been a resident in my life since I was 17. I just don't invite it in anymore. I have work to do, I have a life to live, I have friends to love on. I have so much love. It's not invited, so I don't leave space for it anymore."
She also encouraged others to protect their peace. "You keep yourself safe because no one has the right to say s---," she said.
