‘I felt my humanity was bastardised’: Cynthia Erivo says reaction to Ariana Grande red carpet incident rooted in racism
Summary
Cynthia Erivo spoke about an incident at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good where she protected Ariana Grande from a man who rushed the red carpet. Erivo said the negative reactions she received showed how people view Black women unfairly and that this affected her desire to promote the film for awards.Key Facts
- At the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore, a man jumped a barrier and grabbed Ariana Grande.
- Cynthia Erivo stepped in to push the man away because no one else moved.
- The man, Johnson Wen, has a history of disrupting events and was jailed for nine days.
- Some people called Erivo Grande’s “bodyguard,” a label Erivo rejected.
- Erivo said comments about her appearance and role revealed racial bias against Black women.
- She felt hurt because her natural reaction was misunderstood due to stereotypes.
- The first Wicked movie made $765 million worldwide and won two Oscars, but the sequel made less money and got no Oscar nominations.
- Negative reactions to the incident made Erivo reluctant to campaign for Oscars for the sequel.
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