Ariana Grande joked that her and Cynthia Erivo’s over-the-top “Wicked” press interviews were “insufferable” and “annoying.”
The Golden Globe nominee, 31, poked fun at her and Erivo’s emotional media circuit after Paul Mescal said it seemed like they were truly “in love with each other” during their conversation for Variety’s “Actors on Actors.”
“[We’re] insufferable, yes,” Grande said with a laugh, adding, “We’re horrible. It’s bad. The most annoying.”
“Cynthia is just an absolute brilliant gift of a human being,” she added in the interview published Tuesday.
The actresses’ love for each other was palpable during their months-long promo tour, which ended last month following the film’s record-breaking release.
The two, who seemed to always be holding hands, made it clear that their respective roles as Elphaba and Glinda changed them on a deeper level.
Most of their teary-eyed interviews ended in praise for one another as they gave fans an intimate look at their “sister-like” bond.
Whether fans loved it or hated it, it produced endless viral moments — but none more so than when a reporter told them fans had been “taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that and feeling power in that.”
The journalist’s observation drew an emotional response from Erivo, who placed her hand on her heart and replied, “Wow, I didn’t know that was happening. That’s really powerful.”
Grande, for her part, reached over to comfort her co-star, taking hold of just one of her fingers.
The moment immediately turned into a meme, with people questioning what “holding space” even meant — including Grande and Erivo, 37.
During a recent interview with Variety, the actresses revealed they had no clue what the reporter was talking about but just played along.
“I didn’t know what any part of it meant,” the “Eternal Sunshine” singer said, looking to Erivo. “I didn’t understand the first sentence and then I definitely didn’t understand how you responded.”
Seeing the “Harriet” star get emotional, Grande said she just “wanted to be there” for her — hence the handhold.
“I knew something big was happening,” she added.
“I’m just really relieved that the world had the same experience with this moment that I did,” Grande joked.
While the pink-and-green-themed press tour was put on pause, Grande and Erivo will hit the circuit again next for part two, which comes out Nov. 21, 2025.
