Universal Addresses Pay Disparity Rumors Between Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in ‘Wicked’

Universal Pictures addressed rumors about pay disparity between Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, stars of the upcoming film Wicked. Social media speculation claimed Grande earned $15 million for her role as Glinda, while Erivo received only $1 million as Elphaba. In response, Universal stated that both actresses received equal pay.

Another source confirmed this information to Deadline. Grande has shown interest in playing Glinda for some time, while the two actresses have developed a friendship during filming. They talked about their bond and support for each other in a recent interview.

Wicked had a strong opening, grossing $112.5 million on its debut weekend and a record $15.8 million on the following Monday. The film is performing well against the competition from Disney’s Moana 2, which is set to release soon. Wicked is projected to earn around $90 million during the Thanksgiving weekend.