On social media, many viewers were stunned after Cynthia Erivo broke her silence following backlash over the ‘offensive’ Wicked fan poster.
Cynthia Erivo has addressed the backlash she faced for criticizing a fan-made Wicked poster, calling it “the wildest, most offensive thing” she’s seen.
Cynthia Erivos responsed to the fan-made wicked poster.
Earlier this month, the actress, who stars as Elphaba alongside Ariana Grande in the upcoming movie adaptation of Wicked, shared a fan-edited poster to her Instagram Story.
The poster aimed to recreate the original Broadway musical’s iconic illustrated poster but was met with Erivo’s criticism. She described the fan-edit as “hurtful” and offensive, saying, “None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.”
Erivo elaborated on her feelings, stating, “The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I am a real-life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer.”
She emphasized the importance of the poster’s message: “Our poster is an homage, not an imitation. To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me, and that is just deeply hurtful.”
Cynthia Erivo reflects on her responed
In a recent interview at the 2024 CFDA Fashion Awards, Erivo shared why she felt compelled to speak out.
“It was a human moment of wanting to protect little Elphaba,” she said. “I think for me, it was just like a human moment.”
She admitted, “I probably should have called my friends, but it’s fine.”
Viewers stunned after Cynthia Erivo’s criticism
On social media, Erivo’s initial response sparked a divisive reaction.
In the comment selectin, some defended her, while others felt she had overreacted.
One person said: I saw the fan art poster and I thought it was pretty. I liked better
A second wrote: Omg her response makes me think even less of her. She is so “woe is me” and “pity me for my feelings are hurt”. This is why we shouldn’t have ever started giving out participation trophies
While a third commented: She is entitled to her feelings but so are fans who were disappointed that it didn’t match the image since the book was released in 1995 with Elphaba’s face obscured in shadow.
Someone else said: It was an overreaction and as a woman of color if that was the most offensive thing you have endured you must have lived a charmed life.
Additionally, Ariana Grande also speaks out in support Cynthia Erivo
Ariana Grande, who stars alongside Erivo in Wicked, also addressed the controversy.
At the Academy Museum Gala on October 19, she told Variety, “This is something that is so much bigger than us. The fans are gonna have fun and make their edits.”
Grande expressed her admiration for Erivo, saying, “I have so much respect for my sister Cynthia, and I love her so much. It’s just a big adjustment period. It’s so much stimulation about something that’s so much bigger than us.”
Despite the controversy, Wicked is set to release in theaters on November 22.
What do you think about Erivos’s responses to the fan-made wicked poster.