The nonstop press tour for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande may have looked glamorous from the outside, but behind the scenes, the experience sounds like it pushed both stars to their limits.
After months of interviews, premieres, performances, and global appearances tied to the massive success of Wicked, Erivo is now opening up about just how emotionally and physically exhausting the process became.
The actress admitted that by the end of the promotional run, both she and Grande were barely hanging on. Fans had already noticed how emotional the two became during interviews throughout the rollout, with clips constantly going viral online as viewers debated whether the pair were simply overwhelmed, deeply bonded, or completely burnt out from the pressure surrounding the film.
Now, Erivo’s latest comments seem to confirm that the experience was far more intense than many people realized.
The Wicked campaign became one of the biggest entertainment rollouts in recent memory. Between red carpets, social media attention, live performances, and nonstop online scrutiny, both stars faced enormous expectations from longtime Broadway fans and movie audiences alike. Every appearance quickly became a trending topic, and even small interview moments were dissected across social media.
That level of attention appeared to take a real toll.
Erivo explained that she and Grande leaned heavily on each other throughout the process, especially during the more emotionally draining stretches of the tour. Their friendship became one of the defining parts of the film’s promotion, but it also highlighted just how demanding the experience had become behind closed doors.
Some fans are now revisiting those emotional interview clips with a completely different perspective after hearing Erivo describe the pair as “holding on by threads.”
The conversation around celebrity press tours has also grown louder in recent years, especially as social media turns every appearance into instant viral content. What used to be a few interviews and premieres now often becomes months of nonstop visibility with millions of people analyzing every word, reaction, and facial expression.
According to People, Erivo reflected on the emotional weight of the experience while discussing the intense Wicked promotional schedule and how close she and Grande became during it.
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