Universal Studios on pay disparity rumors

“Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on the Internet. The women received equal pay for their work on Wicked,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Sources familiar with the production confirmed that both actresses were compensated equally for their roles in the musical film directed by Jon M. Chu.

Rumors about Erivo and Grande’s salaries surfaced on TikTok and Reddit earlier this week, with social media users alleging that Grande earned $15 million for the film, while Erivo was paid $1 million. According to The Hollywood Reporter, these unverified claims were picked up by several news outlets, leading to controversy.

All About Wicked, The Wizard of Oz-Spinoff Musical

Adapted from Gregory Maguire’s best-selling novel, Wicked tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz. Erivo plays Elphaba, while Grande plays Glinda. Winnie Holzman, the book writer for the original stage production, collaborated with Dana Fox on the script for Chu’s film. Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar-winning composer and lyricist of the original musical, has adapted the score for the cinematic version. The cast also includes Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey and Bowen Yang.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, during promotional interviews, the Wicked co-stars have spoken warmly about their off-screen friendship, even expressing a desire to return to the Broadway stage together in the future. (ANI)