Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are preparing to give a 'Wicked' performance at this year’s Oscars. Both actresses are expected to be nominated in the supporting actress category at the 2025 Oscars for their 2024 release. One might think there must be some competition or tension between them, but that is not the case at all. Instead, both Grande and Erivo are fully supporting each other’s Oscar campaigns.

Erivo recently made a bold statement in support of Grande’s potential Oscar nomination this year– with a playful threat to the Academy. 

Wicked co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo recently talked about their Oscar buzz with Variety. Grande shared how “honored” she is “to have been that support for Cynthia’s performance,” and Erivo quickly returned the compliment with a fiercer statement, saying, “I will raise he-- if this lady does not get her nomination.” Both actresses are in a strong position to get their well-deserved Oscar nods.

Grande does have some competition from her music peers at the Oscars this time, but Erivo has already been nominated twice by the Academy. There is even talk of Wicked being in the running for Best Picture after it crushed the box office again over Thanksgiving weekend. Still, while the actresses are seen promoting each other, the darker side of the internet tried to pit these two against each other as well.

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A false narrative about a salary discrepancy was spread about Grande and Erivo, which ultimately forced Universal to step in with a statement.

Last month, rumors suggesting that Ariana Grande was paid $15 million to star as Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, while Cynthia Erivo only got $1 million to play Elphaba, started circulating. This caused a huge backlash from fans who felt it was unfair for the leads to have such wildly different salaries—especially since they both played equally important roles in the film. However, the rumor turned out to be false.

Last week, Universal was forced to issue a statement to put the rumors to rest. The studio clarified that the stars were paid the same salary. While the rumors about Grande and Erivo's pay discrepancies were not true, it was important for Universal to clear the air. Despite the actress' support for each other, in the end, only time will tell which one of these two will take home their first Oscar.

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What do you think about Cynthia Erivo's support for Ariana Grande? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!