Last week, Cynthia Erivo made headlines with a controversial post on Instagram by calling a fanmade Wicked poster the “wildest, most offensive thing” she had seen. Erivo took issue with the fact that the poster no longer included her eyes, but plenty of people across the internet thought she was blowing the issue out of proportion.

But Erivo wasn’t the only one on the poster: Her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande was also part of the edit, and in a new red carpet interview, she chimed in on the discourse.

At the Academy Museum Gala, Variety asked Grande for her reaction to the poster (which the outlet’s interviewer referred to as “the AI of it all,” despite the fanmade poster being created in Photoshop and without the use of AI, as the poster’s creator clarified on social media).

“You know, 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,” Grande said. “This is something that is such a — it’s so much bigger than us. And the fans are gonna have fun and make their edits, but of course…”

There, the interviewer finished Grande’s sentence for her, saying, “Sometimes it goes too far.”

“I think so,” Grande agreed. “And I have so much respect for my sister Cynthia and I love her so much, and you know, it’s just a big adjustment period. You know, it’s like so much stimulation about something that’s so much bigger than us.”

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Folks across the internet were quick to point out the obvious: Grande’s statement skillfully avoided expressing any real opinion on the discourse. Several people wondered if it meant she actually disagreed with Erivo’s take or thought it was an overreaction. Though Grande said she loves Erivo, she pointedly never said if she agreed with her post. 

Grande’s answer is a masterclass in how to dodge controversial questions, and some fans thought it further proved how well Wicked was cast. Glinda having perfect PR training? It only makes sense.

Meanwhile, the original artist behind the fanmade poster decided to repost it, despite deleting it from social media after Erivo’s post. “The initial reaction was largely overblown,” they wrote in a viral post. “This is, and always was, an innocent fan edit to pay homage to the original Broadway poster, and there’s nothing wrong with that!”

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