Cynthia Erivo Took a Stand Against This 'Wicked' Fan Edit & the Internet Has Mixed Reactions
If you’re anything like us, then you can’t wait to watch Wicked next month when it finally reaches theaters. After all, seeing the iconic characters Glinda and Elphaba come to life with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo is a moment musical theater fans won’t want to miss.
But as we continue to express our excitement for the new movie, also starring Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh and Peter Dinklage, there’s one fan move Erivo is clearly against.
On Instagram, the Oscar-nominated actress slammed a fan edit of her movie’s official poster edited to look like the original Broadway one.
“This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen,” Erivo wrote on her Oct. 16 Instagram Story as she reposted the fan edit. “None of this is funny,” she continued. “None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.”
Erivo then continued, explaining why the edit was especially hurtful. “The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION,” she wrote. “I am a real-life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer …because, without words we communicate with our eyes.”
“Our poster is an homage, not an imitation,” she continued. “To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.”
Following the repost, she posted another story with the unedited movie poster with her and Grande. “Let me put this right here,” Cynthia wrote. “To remind you and cleanse your palette.”
On social media, fans are having mixed reactions to Erivo’s rant. For some, the fan edit is nothing but a fun way to pay homage to the original Broadway production. “It’s really not that deep…” wrote a user on X. “It isn’t even that serious!” echoed another. “Especially because the original poster does exist. They didn’t just hide her face to hide it.”
Other social media users, however, aren’t afraid to call out the critics. “Of course, people are in the replies invalidating her feelings but had Ariana posted this it would be YASSS QUEEEN SET YOUR BOUNDARIES!!!” wrote one user. “She deserves appreciation for what she worked hard for,” another user echoed.
Looks like whether or not Erivo gets all the support she wants, she’s making her boundaries crystal clear.
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