Cynthia Erivo is once again putting herself at the center of controversy after a sprawling new interview with Variety in which the Wicked star blamed backlash surrounding the film and viral online jokes on what she called “the insidious nature of how we view Black women.”
The interview, which positioned Erivo as emotionally overwhelmed by the pressure and scrutiny surrounding Wicked and Wicked: For Good, quickly drew criticism online for its highly self-serious tone and repeated attempts to frame internet mockery and fan reactions through broader social and racial commentary.
Discussing memes that portrayed her as Ariana Grande’s “bodyguard” after Erivo intervened during a chaotic premiere moment in Singapore, Erivo suggested the reaction reflected deeper societal biases.
“I think that we haven’t really come to terms with the insidious nature of how we view Black women,” Erivo told Variety.
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“And I’m sure people will read this and think, ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, it’s not about that,’” she continued accurately. “But it is.”
Erivo continued: “It was my physique; it was my shape; it was the fact that I was bald; it was about what I looked like. And because of that, there was this assumption that I was bigger than my co-star and so I had to be controlling or protecting, and that was my role.”
The actress also described the online reaction to the incident as emotionally devastating.
Cynthia Erivo performing at a concert – YouTube, Capital Concerts
“I just felt like my humanity had been bastardized,” Erivo said.
The interview repeatedly framed criticism and online commentary surrounding Wicked through the lens of identity, perception, and internet toxicity, with Erivo also complaining about “psychologists seated at home deciding who we were, what we were going through, what we were doing and why.”
Cynthia Erivo’s ‘Wicked’ Poster Controversy Resurfaces
Almost immediately after Variety published the piece, many fans began revisiting Erivo’s infamous reaction to a fan-made edit of the Wicked movie poster in 2024.
The altered image attempted to more closely resemble the iconic Broadway artwork by obscuring part of Erivo’s eyes beneath Elphaba’s hat. While many fans viewed it as harmless homage to the original stage production, Erivo publicly condemned it in an emotional social media post.
A Screenshot of Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in the Wicked Movie Trailer, YouTube – Universal Pictures
“This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen,” Erivo wrote at the time.
She then escalated the situation even further by claiming: “None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.”
That controversy exploded online, with many fans arguing the actress was treating a relatively minor fan edit as some sort of personal attack or ideological statement.
Now, critics of the actress say the new Variety interview feels strikingly similar, once again turning memes, jokes, and fan commentary into broader discussions about race, identity, and social prejudice.
Emotional ‘Wicked’ Press Tour Moments Went Viral
The Variety profile also revisits the emotional strain Erivo experienced during the massive global Wicked press tours alongside Grande.
Those tours frequently generated viral clips online, including interviews where both actresses appeared emotionally overwhelmed while discussing the film and its themes.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande on the Wicked Press Tour – YouTube, GLAAD
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One widely mocked moment involved Erivo becoming emotional during an interview while a helicopter could be heard overhead, contributing to growing online criticism that the Wicked press cycle had become excessively dramatic and self-important.
Variety itself even acknowledged that by the time Wicked: For Good arrived, audiences may have been suffering from “Wicked fatigue” after nearly a year of nonstop promotion, awards campaigning, and highly choreographed publicity appearances.
The outlet also admitted that “every gesture became magnified” as the press cycle spiraled into internet discourse and backlash.
Cynthia Erivo Previously Dismissed Backlash Over Playing Jesus
The renewed controversy has also resurfaced criticism surrounding Erivo’s casting as Jesus in a Hollywood Bowl production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
At the time, some Christians objected to the decision to cast a queer Black woman as Jesus Christ, arguing the production was intentionally provocative and dismissive of Christian audiences.
Cynthia Erivo as Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar – X, @hearinladotcom
Erivo largely brushed aside those concerns.
Combined with the Wicked poster controversy and the increasingly emotional press tour moments, critics argue the actress has developed a reputation for treating disagreement or criticism as evidence of prejudice or intolerance rather than ordinary audience pushback.
Variety’s Profile May Have Reinforced The Backlash
Ironically, even Variety’s own profile hints at the disconnect fueling much of the criticism.
While portions of the interview discussing exhaustion, marathon running, and the pressure of global fame came across as sincere and relatable, the article repeatedly returned to framing criticism through larger ideological narratives.
Cynthia Erivo as Jesus Christ and Adam Lambert as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar – X, @KarluskaP
For many readers online, that may have only reinforced the very backlash the interview was attempting to explain.
How do you feel about Cynthia Erivo and her response to the Wicked backlash? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
