“There were many people who had become psychologists from their couches”: Cynthia Erivo calls out critics of her close friendship with Ariana Grande

The Harriet actress-turned-singer, Cynthia Erivo, recently reflected in a conversation with The Guardian on the public attention her friendship with co-star and global pop icon Ariana Grande received during the press tour and promotion of the Wicked film franchise.

The Tony Award-winning actress, Cynthia Erivo, 39, who has starred in Susanna White's upcoming drama film Prima Facie, which is set to be released on November 13, 2026, expressed her dissatisfaction and called out the public's obsession and strange reaction to her friendship with the Side to Side hitmaker Ariana Grande.

With several moments between Cynthia Erivo and Grande from the press tour of Wicked back in 2024, which went viral, the Pinocchio actress, while speaking with The Guardian, called out people's unnecessary concern and fixation regarding her friendship with the Bloodline singer. Erivo referred to the people as so-called "psychologists" who criticized her friendship with Grande and said:

"It was interesting that there were many people who had become psychologists from their couches."

She continued:

"There was this weird sort of, what’s the word I’m looking for, annoyance, at the fact that two women could actually be friends. Like, why are they friends? Why are they connected? There must be something wrong with them."

Erivo went ahead and said:

"Why are they showing emotion? How dare they cry? And how dare they laugh? And how dare they be emotive and alive?"

The Oscar-nominated actress added:

“It’s a double-edged sword. Because if we were dead behind the eyes and showing no emotion, there would have been something else to say about it. I wish there was someone who could have been like, 'Right, this is the proper balance of emotion that you should show. Don’t show this. Don’t show that. Just this amount.'"

Cynthia Erivo shared her views regarding netizens, calling her Ariana Grande's "bodyguard"

According to Variety, during a press tour in Singapore, when a man out of nowhere grabbed Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo was quick enough to defend and protect her. While it was a terrifying moment for both of them, the netizens took the opportunity to call Erivo Grande's "bodyguard", a term she was not at all comfortable with. Erivo said:

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I was like 'Oh, you think because I look like this that you could talk to me this way about something that was a human thing that I would have done for any friend, and hopefully a friend would have done for me.' But I must be a bodyguard."

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