In case you missed it, “Wicked,” the upcoming “The Wizard of Oz” prequel film and adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical of the same name, is hitting theaters this week. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba the Wicked Witch and Ariana Grande as Glinda the Good Witch, who have both been present for a highly publicized press tour.
Why, then, is it the British press seems to be leaving Erivo out of the conversation in their own coverage?
A clip that has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) highlights big British publications like The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mail, all of which have front-page “Wicked” press photos of Grande without Erivo. Users are quick to point out the discrepancy — especially considering that Erivo is an actual British actress leading one of the biggest films in the world.
The user from the original post on X (formerly known as Twitter) wrote, “Not a single sight of Cynthia Eviro on the cover of these newspapers. She literally plays is the MAIN character Elphaba and it’s so easy to find a pic of them both I hate what white media in Britain do.”
Several called this out as a pattern from across the pond: Let us not forget the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and the vicious ways the British press treated her the second she joined the royal family, which she and her husband Prince Harry discussed in detail in their hit Netflix series, “Harry & Meghan.”
One user wrote, “I mean Megan Markle told y’all about the British media, y’all acted like she was being dramatic.”
Another wrote, “do you know how racist the British media is to cut THEIR OWN HOMEGROWN LEADING LADY OUT OF THE PICTURES to focus on the White American lady?! SMDH.”
Much has been made of the historic nature of this “Wicked movie,” including the fact that such an iconic role will be played by a dark-skinned Black actress. Erivo has more than proved herself as one of our greatest contemporary performers (she literally has a Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award), and her turn as Elphaba should be celebrated for what it is: one of the biggest moments for movie musicals we’ve had in a long time.
The blatant decision to remove Erivo from the narrative is even more obvious when you consider how joined at the hip Erivo and Grande have been for this months-long press run. In every interview, at every press junket and on every red carpet, these two have been together, showing off their clear bond and lifting each other up.
Grande herself has praised Erivo constantly, telling Vanity Fair that she dreamed of singing with “The Color Purple” star long before “Wicked” was even a possibility.
“She’s my favorite female voice,” she told the outlet. “When I was watching you sing at the Oscars, I said, ‘I hope someday I get to sing with her.’”