Cynthia Erivo says she felt deeply affected by online backlash following a viral incident at the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore, describing the experience as one where her “humanity had been bastardised.” The actress, who stars as Elphaba in the Wicked film adaptations alongside Ariana Grande, opened up about the fallout in an interview with Variety , reflecting on how the public reaction influenced her relationship with fame and awards campaigning. The Singapore premiere incident The moment that sparked widespread attention occurred in November 2025 at Universal Studios Singapore duri

Cynthia Erivo says she felt deeply affected by online backlash following a viral incident at the Wicked: For Good premiere in Singapore, describing the experience as one where her “humanity had been bastardised.”

The actress, who stars as Elphaba in the Wicked film adaptations alongside Ariana Grande, opened up about the fallout in an interview with Variety, reflecting on how the public reaction influenced her relationship with fame and awards campaigning.

The Singapore premiere incident

The moment that sparked widespread attention occurred in November 2025 at Universal Studios Singapore during a promotional event for Wicked: For Good. While the cast was walking a yellow brick carpet, a man rushed the barricade and attempted to approach Ariana Grande.

Erivo instinctively stepped in front of her co-star, physically intervening to shield her from the intruder until security responded.

Speaking about the moment, Erivo said: “Nobody moved. Nobody moved. So I moved because my brain went, ‘Get him away! Get him out of here!’”

She added that the man briefly struggled with Grande before being restrained, prompting her immediate reaction to push him away.

Online reaction and criticism

Following the incident, clips and images from the event spread rapidly online. Erivo said much of the commentary focused on her appearance and physicality rather than the situation itself.

She described the reaction as “insidious,” noting that memes and social media posts targeted her body, hairstyle, and presence in the moment.

According to Erivo, the discourse led to assumptions about her role in the situation, including the idea that she was acting out of dominance rather than instinctive protection of a friend.

“My humanity had been bastardised”

Erivo said the experience had a lasting emotional impact.

“I just felt like my humanity had been bastardised,” she said. “Something I did instinctively had been made into something it simply was not because of the way people see women who look like me.”

She added that the way the situation was interpreted made her feel uncomfortable participating in traditional awards campaigning for her performance as Elphaba.

When asked whether the backlash influenced her decision not to pursue an Oscar campaign, she responded that “maybe in a way it did.”

Reflection on fame and Wicked

Erivo also commented on the broader response to Wicked, saying that the project itself had been met with both enthusiasm and criticism.

She described the franchise as “its own storm in a teacup,” adding that despite the intensity of public attention, it had significantly changed her life in positive ways.

“It took over everything and  beautifully  changed my life,” she said.

The actress continues to receive widespread recognition for her role in the

Wicked

films, which remain among the most anticipated musical adaptations in recent years.

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