Cynthia Erivo has spoken out following her swift protection of Ariana Grande at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good. Erivo intervened when a fan approached Grande on the red carpet.
"I wasn’t really thinking," Erivo, 38, told Today on Thursday, November 20. "I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe."
During the international premiere, a man rushed to the front of a line and towards Grande, 32. Erivo and co-star Michelle Yeoh quickly moved Grande away from the individual.
"I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm, but you never know with these things," Erivo stated. "I wanted to make sure she was OK. That was my first instinct."
Grande has not made public statements about the incident. The man, later identified as Johnson Wen, was charged with public nuisance and sentenced to nine days in jail.
The incident highlights the close bond between Erivo and Grande. Their friendship developed during the filming of the two-part musical movie Wicked.
"This is a lasting friendship for us," Erivo shared on Today. "We’re like sisters now."
She added, "I think we both have learned from one another and given each other really, really beautiful gifts. We’ve really taken care of each other throughout all of it."
Erivo and Grande portray witches Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, in the film. The movies, directed by Jon M. Chu, adapt the hit stage production about the origin story of the two witches from The Wizard of Oz.
The co-stars even cemented their bond with matching tattoos. They each got the phrase "For Good" to commemorate their roles and iconic duet in Wicked.
Grande also previously expressed her admiration for Erivo. "To be able to perform with you and share a space, and be your scene partner, was the biggest privilege of my professional life," Grande told Today earlier this month.
She continued, "Not to mention singing with her, the best singer in the whole world. I’m spoiled for life."
Wicked: For Good also features performances by Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, and Marissa Bode.
Bode, 25, who uses a wheelchair, spoke to Us Weekly in November about her character Nessarose’s stellar solo. "There’s certainly a lot of pressure. I hope I lived up to it."
Bode also praised the film for its improved visibility for her character. "I’m happy with the change … with what she asks her sister for in the second movie," Bode stated. "That can be one person with a disability’s story, but it’s not every person with a disability’s story."
Wicked: For Good is scheduled to arrive in theaters on Friday, November 21.