5 Rumors About Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo's Odd Relationship

When Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were originally cast alongside each other in the live-action film adaptation of the Broadway hit musical "Wicked," many saw it as a show-stopping combination of musical talents. What nobody was prepared for was the strangely close bond the two women would form over the course of filming both "Wicked" and its sequel, "Wicked: For Good." Two press tours and two films in, Erivo and Grande have earned themselves quite the following of fans and shippers that have flooded the internet with coverage on the duo's every red carpet, interview, and touchy appearance together. 

Erivo and Grande have become known for their overly affectionate behavior and what appears to be a dependence on one another. And as a result, the internet was bursting at the seams with examples of their tightly knit friendship. Comments dissecting the pair's relationship have popped up on Threads and Reddit, an influx of fan edits of the two have appeared on TikTok, and fan pages have been created on Instagram, feeding into rumors about the actors' close bond. Here's a breakdown of some of the biggest rumors that have haunted the image of Grande and Erivo's relationship. 

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter in February 2025, Ariana Grande admitted that her relationship with Cynthia Erivo led to speculation that the pair were secretly married. Though she mentioned the rumor in a tongue-in-cheek fashion, the question had long been posed online. Given their overly touchy presence, constant insistence that they love each other, and matching tattoos, it's no surprise that a romance between the women has been speculated. 

However, as of December 2025, Erivo and Grande were both in their own romantic relationships. The Broadway actor has been in a long-term relationship with girlfriend, Lena Waithe, since 2020. As for Grande, she started a controversial relationship with costar Ethan Slater while filming the first "Wicked" film in 2023, shortly after both separated from their then-spouses. 

But this explanation into why the two could not be married gets even more complicated after Slater himself weighed in on Grande and Erivo's relationship. While doing press for the "Wicked: For Good" film, the Tin Man actor claimed of his girlfriend and Erivo, "They are kind of soul mates," adding, "Their friendship is really real and really deep and really informed by the work that they did together." (via Today Show) The claim is supported by some fans who assert that the two women are platonic soulmates; however, the remark did come as a little shocking from the romantic partner of one of the alleged soul mates. 

In the eyes of the public, the two performers' unique relationship has stood as a constant throughout their "Wicked" press tours, becoming an internet sensation. Yet, according to insiders, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's bizarre friendship won't stand the test of time. The Daily Mail published a source's behind-the-scenes experience with the actors' friendship. "They text and have phone calls all of the time, but when they're not filming or on a press tour together they often don't have time to hang out like regular friends," the insider shared.  

Online, speculation that their friendship is all a fraud to generate interest in their film has blown up. As a popular celebrity gossip account on TikTok explained, Grande and Erivo's relationship was made to hide their on-set hate for one another. With the piling on of questions towards the legitimacy of their relationship, fans have pointed out that their matching tattoos should put the allegations to rest. 

"Yes they got matching tattoos because they hate each other," a TikTok user wrote under the gossip account's post. "They literally have matching tattoos bffr. People really will say anything to start controversy," another remarked in the comment section. Though their public displays of affection have definitely taken a dip between their 2024 and 2025 press tours, their whirlwind of borderline obsessive behavior toward one another certainly doesn't resemble anything close to hate. 

It's no secret that Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo share a powerful emotional bond; however, when news came out about an alleged label the pair gave themselves, fans were left scratching their heads. Posts online popped up after the two actors had set out on their press tour for their second musical film together, "Wicked: For Good" that claimed Erivo had told The Lamented that her relationship with Grande was a "non-demi-curious semi-binary relationship." (via The Pink News)

In the initial, now-deleted post from The Lamented (a satirical outlet), a made-up quote from the Broadway star explained the complicated label, "It means we are not actually a couple, but we are curious about what that could mean and everything." Given the acting duo's constant PDA and obvious adoration for one another, the conversation of them being in a romantic relationship was not a far jump for some fans to make when interacting with the parody post that took off. 

The term itself was disputed, as the label allegedly addressed both women's genders and sexual identities, but Pop Rant's breakdown of the label declared that there was no such thing as a non-demi-curious semi-binary relationship. Whatever the case, the quote was not real, putting an end to the complicated conversations that picked apart the compound title. 

The costars' weight loss has been under the public's magnifying glass since the pair displayed a significant change in weight from the start of filming to the premiere of the first "Wicked" movie. Arianators voiced their worry for the "Thank u Next" singer when she seemingly dropped a few pounds during production, but when Cynthia Erivo started to show the same weight loss transformation, "Wicked" fans broke out into full on rumors about the pair.  

"I swear they're friends that compete with each other on everything INCLUDING how smol they are." one Reddit user wrote in response to an article about Ariana Grande and Erivo's weight. "So many of their pics make it look like they are competing for who has the thinnest necks. Hence the weird head/neck posture and weight loss," another commented. 

As more threads broke out and pictures were picked apart, another user posted in another Reddit thread, "I'm sure being a costar constantly posing next to a popular and extremely petite costar probably makes you extra aware of your own body. Being skinny can be a competition sometimes." Grande spoke out about the constant speculation about her weight loss in a long TikTok during the production of "Wicked." She explained to her fans that their worrying was unwarranted and that she was actually at her healthiest that she had ever been. 

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo haven't done much to stave off the dating rumors. As another press tour wrapped in 2025, their very hands-on relationship and frequently expressed love for one another have created an image of the pair that is presumed to be something beyond that of friendship... at least according to investigative fans. And with this constant speculation of things like romantic love, dating, and even marriage, it's rumored that the actor's partners are suffering under the weight of fan shipping. 

Erivo had been in a long-term relationship with partner Lena Waithe for 5 years by the time her and the "7 Rings" singer went on another press junket for "Wicked: For Good." With the internet sparking up once again with dating speculations between the costars, it's been rumored that Waithe has not taken the questioning well. As a result, fans have posed the idea that Waithe allegedly can't stand Grande. 

Picking apart photographs of the three together where Waithe looks visibly annoyed or uncomfortable as Erivo leans into her costar rather than her girlfriend and citing Waithe's shared social media posts that consist of a clip from Grande referring to her interviews with Erivo as insufferable, fans believe they've uncovered a secret feud between Waithe and the "Wicked" costars.