There’s been a lot of discussion about Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo being left out of the 2026 Oscar nominations for their work in Wicked. Now, an anonymous Academy voter claims the reason they weren’t nominated is because they made a lot of people uncomfortable.
Ariana Grande, 32, played Glinda in the second Wicked movie, following the 2024 film, and Cynthia Erivo, 39, starred as Elphaba.
News Nation reports that some Academy voters were reportedly turned off by the very public and affectionate behavior displayed by the couple during their recent press tour, which generated a lot of attention online.
One voter told Paula Froelich that while the movie’s stars had great chemistry, they didn’t share many scenes together, and the movie itself wasn’t particularly good.
I also didn’t like their promotional events at all. They made a lot of people uncomfortable, and in trying too hard to seem genuine, they just ended up looking like they were pretending.
I’ve been frantically checking for any response from The Academy ever since these rumors started, but they’re totally silent! The Daily Mail has tried reaching out, too, but still nothing. It’s killing me! They have to address this, right?
Fans expressed concern not only about the actresses’ awkward red carpet appearances, but also about their significant weight loss.
One voter told the publication that the film wasn’t very good and that Erivo and Grande made any red carpet appearance they were part of feel flat, discouraging people from wanting to experience that again.
Basically, we were trying to help Ariana manage her worries, and also save Cynthia from having to step in and deal with the situation – for the second time.
Despite the Oscar snub, Grande was nominated at the 2026 Golden Globes but went home empty-handed.
During the Singapore film premiere in November, a fan suddenly rushed at the singer of “7 Rings,” and Cynthia Erivo quickly stepped in to help protect her.
The man who approached her was identified as Johnson Wen, also known as @PyjamaMann on Instagram.
Days before that Grande and Erivo were teased online for gushing over each other’s ‘auras.’
In Paris they were asked to describe each other’s ‘auras’ by an Elle magazine journalist.
Grande said Erivo’s was ‘yellow,’ like ‘sunshine.’ She added, ‘I think there’s also purple.’
Erivo described her co-star using a range of colors, saying they reminded her of the sky – everything from a clear blue to shades of aqua and even the warm tones of a sunset.
After the red carpet appearance, someone commented on Reddit, ‘I can’t watch this happen again,’ recalling the awkward publicity events the movie stars had earlier in 2024.
A particularly touching moment in 2024 interviews happened when Ariana Grande held J. Smith-Cameron’s finger while speaking with Tracy E. Gilchrist for Out Magazine.
In an interview, journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist shared with Cynthia Erivo that she’d noticed online conversations about the lyrics to “Defying Gravity” – the emotional song Erivo performs in Wicked – and how people were saying it made them feel empowered.
Erivo seemed deeply touched by the news, responding, ‘I had no idea that was going on. That’s amazing—exactly what I was hoping for.’
It was so touching to watch! As Ariana was talking, she actually got a little emotional herself, and she instinctively reached out and squeezed her friend’s finger – it was just a really sweet, supportive gesture, and you could feel the connection between them.
The interaction sparked amusement online, with many users questioning it. One person on X posted a screenshot of Ariana’s hand touching Cynthia’s, simply asking, ‘What’s going on here?’
‘Is this a sketch comedy show or something?’ someone else wrote on the social media platform.
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2026-01-26 06:18