Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Got Paid Equally for ‘Wicked,’ Universal Calls Pay Disparity Rumors ‘Completely False’
“Wicked” stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo were paid the same amount for leading the movie musical, Universal Pictures said in a rare statement on the matter to dispel online rumors about salary discrepancies.
False stories about Grande and Erivo’s compensation for their work on “Wicked” circulated over the weekend as outlets like the New York Post reported on unsubstantiated claims by TikTok and Reddit users that Grande earned $15 million to play Glinda the Good while Erivo was paid $1 million to portray Elphaba, the eventual Wicked Witch of the West.
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“Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder,” a spokesperson for Universal said in a statement. “The women received equal pay for their work on ‘Wicked.'”
Of course, the studio behind the big budget musical declined to confirm the amount that Grande and Erivo were paid.
Jon M. Chu directed the PG-rated “Wicked,” an adaptation of Act One of the hit Broadway show about everything that happens before Dorothy lands in Oz. The story takes place before, during and after the events in “The Wizard of Oz” and recounts the unlikely friendship of green-skinned Elphaba (later known as the Wicked Witch of the West) and her perky, pink-loving roommate Galinda (eventually dubbed Glinda the Good).
“Wicked” opened over the weekend to $112 million in North America and $164 million globally, ranking as the third best domestic debut of the year and biggest ever for a Broadway adaptation. “Wicked: Part Two,” chronicling the musical’s second act, flies to theaters in 2025. Universal spent a combined $300 million to produce the two films, not including the ambitious, expensive pink-and-green marketing efforts.
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