In case you missed it: Last week, Cynthia Erivo was outraged over a fan-edited version of her and Ariana Grande’s Wicked poster, which attempted to re-create the original Broadway art by covering Erivo’s eyes with a shadow. At the time, she reacted by writing on social media:
“This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful Ai of us fighting, equal to people posing the question ‘is your ***** green’
None of this is funny
None of it is cute
It degrades me
It degrades usThe original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I am a real life human being, who chose to to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer …because, without words we communicate with our eyes.
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.”
Now, Grande has also weighed in.
Speaking with Variety at the Academy Museum Gala on October 19 in Los Angeles, Grande said, “I think it’s very complicated because I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, but I think it’s just kind of such a massive adjustment period. This is something that is so much bigger than us, and the fans are gonna have fun and make their edits.”
When asked if she believes things can go “too far,” she continued, “I think so. And 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.”
