‘Wicked’ Pay Dispute Rumors Addressed By Universal
The Wicked movie has recently become the subject of a viral rumor alleging there was a great pay dispute between the two lead actresses, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The story had sparked debate among fans on social media. Universal Pictures, the film’s production company and distributor, has recently addressed the issue.
Rumors Claimed One Wicked Actress Was Paid Much More Than Another
Wicked is a film adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name, itself based on the namesake Gregory Maguire novel. The story is a revisionist take on L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, telling the story of the early years of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba, the story incarnation of the Witch of the West. Ariana Grande plays Glinda.
The two actresses, however, recently became the subject of an internet rumor alleging of a great pay dispute between the two. One version of the story alleged that Grande was paid $15 million for Glinda while Erivo earned $1 million.
The rumor notably sparked criticism on social media. One X user wrote that, “Ariana getting paid $15m and Cynthia getting paid $1m is diabolical.”
Another wrote that, “The disparity between Ariana’s salary ($15 mil) and Cynthia’s is crazy because why is it that much of a difference? And they’re both named leads in the film.”
A Universal Pictures Spokesperson Released A Statement Concerning The Rumors
The post continued, musing that Michelle Yeoh who plays Madame Morrible in the film, could have been paid the same, if not more, than Erivo, despite playing a smaller role. The user also felt that Erivo’s resume outshone Yeoh’s and Grande’s.
On social media, some came to Grande’s defense, claiming that it would make some sense, if the rumors were true, since she could be seen as the bigger name. Others argued that such a pay dispute would be an insult to Erivo as she was playing the title character.
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According to Page Six, however, Universal ultimately denied the rumors in a statement. As a spokesperson shared on the company’s behalf, “Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder. The women received equal pay for their work on Wicked.’”
Erivo and Grande haven’t responded to these rumors themselves. In fact, the two have recently become known for their emotional appearances together from the film’s promotional press tour.
Wicked came out this past Friday earning the third-biggest opening weekend of the year with $114 million domestically. The film will be followed-up with Wicked: Part Two, which is scheduled for release on Nov. 21, 2025.
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