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Ariana Grande Reveals Cynthia Erivo Is on Vocal Rest at Wicked: For Good NYC Premiere

Cynthia Erivo had her Wicked: Foor Good costar Ariana Grande speak on her behalf at the New York City premiere of their movie after losing her voice.

By Gabrielle Chung Nov 18, 2025 12:07 AM
| Updated Nov 18, 2025 2:55 AM
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Watch: Ariana Grande Details Saying Goodbye to 5 Years of ‘Wicked’ With Cynthia Erivo

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are unlimited together.

Case in point: When Cynthia lost her voice ahead of the Wicked: For Good premiere in New York City Nov. 17, her costar was more than happy to step in and help answer questions on her behalf.

"I'm not letting her speak," Ariana told E! News' Justin Sylvester in an exclusive joint with Cynthia. "She has to rest her voice."

However, Cynthia couldn't pass up a chance to reflect on the full circle moment of the Wicked movie's final installment premiering just blocks away from Broadway, sharing in a hoarse voice, "It's really beautiful that we're finishing here, where it started." 

"No more," Ariana—visibly concerned about Cynthia's voice—told her castmate. "I'm sorry."

The "Positions" singer added in a message to fans, "She's throat-coating and we're nourishing the throat. We're going to make it work and we're really sorry that this is how it is. We're sorry and we love you guys so much. Thank you for understanding. There's only so much the human body can do."

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Wicked: For Good New York Premiere: See All the Celebrity Red Carpet Fashion

Indeed, the duo are the greatest team there's ever been. After all, Cynthia leaped into action to protect Ariana when an overzealous fan rushed her during the Singapore premiere of their movie musical earlier this month.

"We have come through some stuff in our lives, in our daily workings," the 38-year-old said of her bond with Ariana, 32, following the incident. "Let's be honest, for f--k's sakes: We've had to really deal with some stuff, and this movie has allowed us to really grow as people, as friends, as sisters, as artists, as actresses."

Still, Cynthia is grateful to have been a part of the journey.

Darren Gerrish/WireImage for Universal Pictures

"There are other people who have seen themselves in this movie, in that character, and also now see themselves and feel safe," she added "That, for me, is the pinnacle of what I could ever wish for from any piece of work I have ever done. And I am so glad that in order to do it, I had to look into the eyes of this person beside me."

And while Wicked: For Good marks the end of the yellow brick road for Cynthia and Ariana's respective characters Elphaba and Glinda, the costars know their friendship means they'll never fly solo again.

“I honestly don’t think that this is going to leave our lives for a very long time,” Cynthia recently shared on Wicked: The Official Podcast. “This might be stuck with us for quite some time. But it’s a wonderful thing to be stuck with.”

To see all the stars at the Wicked: For Good premiere, keep reading...

(E! and Universal Pictures are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

Ariana Grande

In custom Schiaparelli.

Cynthia Erivo

In Balenciaga.

Jonathan Bailey 

In Loro Piana.

Michelle Yeoh

In Givenchy and Mikimoto jewelry.

Jeff Goldblum

In Prada and Jacob & Co. timepiece.

Ethan Slater 

In Tanner Fletcher.

Marissa Bode 

Bowen Yang

In Simone Rocha and Jimmy Choo shoes.

Bronwyn James 

In Marques Almeida.

Colman Domingo

In Dolce & Gabbana.

Scarlett Spears

Jon M. Chu 

Nina Dobrev

In archive Narciso Rodriguez.

Megan Hilty

In Pamella Roland.

Claire Danes

Trisha Paytas

In Garo Sparo.

Constance Wu 

In Cult Gaia.

Natasha Bedingfield

In Christian Siriano.

Jimmy Fallon

Auli'i Cravalho

In Mitiliane Couture.

David Burtka & Harper Burtka-Harris

Harper in Alice + Olivia.

Gayle King 

Beanie Feldstein & Bonnie-Chance Roberts

Beanie in Simone Rocha.

Justine Lupe

Phillipa Soo & Andrew Chappelle

Ariana Biermann & Gia Giudice

Gia in L'idee.

Hasan Minhaj & Beena Patel 

Melanie C & Chris Dingwall

Patricia Clarkson

Remi Bader

In Rodarte.

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