Overview
- At the Wicked: For Good premiere in November 2025, a man rushed the red carpet and grabbed Ariana Grande before Cynthia Erivo stepped in to separate him and the attacker was later jailed for nine days.
- Video of the confrontation went viral and spawned memes that labeled Erivo as Grande’s “bodyguard,” with much of the mockery focusing on Erivo’s physique and shaved head.
- In a Variety interview published Wednesday, Erivo described those jokes as reflecting the “insidious” way Black women are viewed and said the backlash made her feel her “humanity had been bastardised.”
- Erivo confirmed that the online reaction contributed to her decision to scale back or step away from campaigning for an Academy Award for the sequel.
- The episode has renewed discussion about misogynoir, red‑carpet security and the toll of an intense roughly 400‑day Wicked press tour on performers’ safety and well‑being.