*Ariana Grande addressed the curiosity surrounding her cringy physical closeness with co-star Cynthia Erivo on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, explaining that she “channel[s] a lot of energy through [her] hands.”
Grande, 32, described herself as “always holding a hand, always squeezing something” or “always reaching for something” when she’s with those she spends time around. The superstar emphasized the effort she and Erivo, 38, have put into sustaining the bond formed while filming “Wicked.”
“There’s a lot of time that passes between wrapping the film and the press tour happening,” she said. “We’re both so busy, but do our best to stay connected in that way and to take care of each other so we can honor the project as much as humanly possible.”
Amid the whirlwind global press tour for director Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked: For Good,” Grande revealed she tested positive for COVID-19. She shared the update on Instagram Stories with a post captioned “moments before COVID,” which featured her on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” showing off her wand skills.
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The press tour wasn’t without tense moments. At a red carpet in Singapore, an overzealous fan broke through security and grabbed Grande, prompting Erivo to rush to her side and wrap her in a protective embrace — a moment that quickly went viral.
“I wasn’t really thinking,” Erivo said during a recent interview on “Today.” “I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe. I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but you never know with those things. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. That was my first instinct.”
(#AD) — Cynthia Erivo opened up about why she and Ariana are always holding hands, hugging, and staying physically connected. She says physical touch is how they communicate, especially in moments where words don’t work.
She also noted that she’s single, so closeness with… pic.twitter.com/kdUKGLx5T0
— Tasha K (@UNWINEWITHTASHA) November 20, 2025
Throughout the press tour, social media users often commented on the pair’s affectionate behavior, sometimes mocking them for being overly emotional or intimate. Check out some of the hilarious reaction videos below.
??DEVELOPING: Cynthia Erivo and Arianna Grande have annoyed social media as so much with their WICKED promo antics that fans are now mocking the stars as they upload videos that depict the two. pic.twitter.com/Ar2DUAkwD4
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) November 19, 2025
The real reason why Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande won’t be giving anymore interviews.
The Studio had to put a stop to the cringe that is.. whatever the hell this is. ?pic.twitter.com/kIFjm7vQcl
— Nina Infinity (@Nina7Infinity) November 18, 2025
— Full Negro Alchemist ✊? (@IamjustTerry) November 16, 2025
Ariana Grande and the bald black chick from Wicked that follows her everywhere pic.twitter.com/tK7AHPo9Wk
— Kaguya’s Top Gal (@hayasaka_aryan) November 16, 2025
I am at a loss for words at how creepy these two are. Especially Ariana Grande… nothing about her is healthy. pic.twitter.com/FwTLotBWNq
— Liberacrat™️ (@Liberacrat) November 16, 2025
This is so- pic.twitter.com/rRbYBwJaz5
— Ichigo Niggasake (@SomaKazima2) November 19, 2025
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: ‘Wicked: For Good’ Projected to Dominate Opening Weekend
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