Nigerian-British actress Cynthia Erivo has addressed the online backlash and jokes that followed a red-carpet incident in which she stepped in to protect her Wicked co-star, Ariana Grande, from an overzealous fan.
Speaking in a recent interview, the Oscar-nominated actress said the reaction to the viral moment highlighted what she described as the “insidious” stereotypes often directed at Black women.
The incident occurred during the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good when a fan suddenly rushed toward Grande on the red carpet and grabbed the singer. The moment quickly gained international attention, with reports indicating that the Australian man involved was later sentenced to nine days in prison.
Recalling the frightening encounter, Erivo explained that her actions were driven by instinct after noticing that the fan refused to let Grande go.
“Nobody moved. Nobody moved,” she said.
“So I moved because my brain went, ‘Get him away! Get him out of here!’ My immediate reaction was, ‘Get him away from us.’”
The actress noted that many people who commented on the viral footage were unaware of the seriousness of the situation because they could not fully see what was happening.
“What people couldn’t see is that he wouldn’t let go of Grande. He wouldn’t let go. So I just kept pushing at him to get him off,” Erivo explained.
Emphasising the importance of respecting personal boundaries, she added, “A stranger is a stranger. Personal space is still personal space. It doesn’t belong to anyone, even if you feel you know the person. In that moment, we were all terrified.”
However, after the clip spread on social media, some users mocked Erivo for acting as Grande’s “bodyguard,” prompting the actress to respond with criticism.
According to Erivo, the jokes were hurtful because they reduced a genuine act of protection to comments about her appearance and physicality, rather than recognising the fear and urgency of the moment.
