Cynthia Erivo is speaking up about the speculation that she is romantically involved with Ariana Grande.
During an interview with Stylist, Erivo addressed the rumors heads-on about their “relationship” and shot it down, insisting that they’re just really good friends.
"At fist, I think people didn’t understand how it was possible for two women to be friends—close—and not lovers,” she said. “I’ve never really spoken about this, but there was this strange fascination with the two of us, where people either thought we were putting it on for the cameras or that we were lovers."
Erivo continued, speculating that rumors came about because "there’s such little conversation around platonic female friendship that is deep and real, even though it exists everywhere.”
“We’re not used to seeing it on camera, in front of people,” Erivo continued. “A relationship where people are connected sometimes just makes people uncomfortable; we aren’t taught that those relationships are good for us.”
Erivo and Grande’s closeness was well-noticed and documented by fans following their starring roles in Wicked and Wicked: For Good. Erivo has been openly protective of Grande, including when an overzealous fan ambushed her at the premiere for Wicked: For Good in Singapore.
In November, Erivo explained why she stepped in when the fan grabbed Grande on the red carpet.
"I was really thinking, ‘I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe,' you know?” Erivo explained on the Today show. “I'm sure he didn't mean us harm, but you never know with those things, and I wanted to make sure that she was OK. That was my first instinct.”
Elsewhere in that same conversation, Erivo referred to her relationship with Grande as a “long-lasting friendship.”
“We're kind of like sisters at this moment in time, you know? And I think we've both learned from each other and given each other some really, really beautiful gifts,” continued Erivo. “We've really looked after each other through this."