Cynthia Erivo, the 37-year-old actress set to star as the witch Elphaba in the upcoming Disney movie Wicked, addressed the backlash her comments generated after she slammed a fan edit of the production’s poster as “degrading and erasing her.”
Her protest of the changes made to the image of her and her co-star, Ariana Grande, brought a great deal of negative publicity to the movie, with articles and YouTube videos covering the public’s reaction.
“It’s not that serious! What a snowflake!” one fan wrote, with many others echoing their sentiment. Others explained that the edits were done out of love for the iconic Wicked Broadway play poster.
“I’m very protective of Elphaba,” Erivo said in an interview on the red carpet at the 2024 CFDA Fashion Awards yesterday (October 28). “The fans are passionate, and so am I. It was a very human moment for me, wanting to defend the character.”
Cynthia Erivo admitted that she should’ve reached out for advice before blasting fans for editing the poster of her upcoming movie, Wicked
The actress admitted, in hindsight, that she should’ve “called her friends instead“ of posting her scathing critique of the fan poster on October 16 to her Instagram stories.
“This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that AI of [me and Ariana] fighting, equal to people posing the question ‘is your ***** skin green,‘” Erivo wrote.
The actress took particular offense at the fan edit, which used an image of her facing the camera and covering her eyes below her witch hat, altered to better resemble the pose struck by Elphaba on the Broadway poster.
“The original poster is an illustration, but I’m a real human being. I chose to look down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer,“ she said. “Our poster is an homage, not an imitation. To edit my face is to erase me.”
Ok so I’ve decided to repost this – the last few days have been wild & have helped me realise that the initial reaction was largely overblown. This is, and always was, an innocent fan edit to pay homage to the original Broadway poster, and there’s nothing wrong with that! pic.twitter.com/XeyWPt2tvF
— 🇵🇸 (@midosommar) October 20, 2024
Fans and critics tried to explain to her that the changes were not made out of spite for her as an actress but rather because they felt the original image elicited a more enticing response.
With the witch’s eyes covered and her red-lipped smile, the drawn poster conveyed a sense of mischievousness and mystery that fans felt was lost in the live-action version.
Ariana Grande explained that Erivo’s comments were a consequence of the pressure they both feel after stepping into the shoes of such beloved characters
“If this is the most offensive thing you’ve ever seen, the internet might be too much for you,“ wrote a reader.
Ariana Grande, who plays the good witch Glinda, offered her perspective on the controversy during the Academy Museum Gala on October 19. “It’s such a massive adjustment period. The fans will always create their edits, which we can’t control,“ she said, speaking to Variety.
@entertainmenttonight Cynthia Erivo reveals why she found the edited ‘Wicked’ poster to be ‘deeply hurtful.’ #cynthiaerivo #wicked #arianagrande #kardashians ♬ original sound – Entertainment Tonight
The actress and singer acknowledged the effect her co-star’s comment might have had on the movie’s promotional tour but emphasized the pressure they were both feeling.
“I have so much love and respect for Cynthia, and we’re both navigating something bigger than ourselves.”
The creator of the fan edit also commented on Erivo’s reaction, defending their creation: “This is, and always was, an innocent fan edit to pay homage to the original Broadway poster, and there’s nothing wrong with that!“
Wicked‘s story is expected to be told in two parts. The first will hit theaters on November 27, and the second will be released around the same time next year.
