SZA has called out the “classic misogynoir” being levelled against Wicked star Cynthia Erivo on social media after she rushed to defend Ariana Grande on a recent red carpet.
On Friday (November 28), SZA reacted to an Instagram reel about the “out of hand” mistreatment that Erivo has received on social media while out on the movie’s press tour, which appeared to be amplified by a recent incident at a premiere.
At Universal Studios in Singapore, a man jumped over a barricade and rushed towards Grande and wrapped his arms around her, jumping up and down. As the star froze in shock, Erivo came to her aid and pushed the man away before he was removed by security.
Some of the memes spurned by that situation have seen fans characterise Grande as frail – itself a problematic theme overshadowing the press tour – and Erivo as like her “bodyguard”, playing into harmful stereotypes that Black women are somehow more masculine or aggressive.
The content creator SZA replied to, known on Instagram as ‘thefilmdiva’, highlighted the “underlying tones of racism” in the offensive memes.
SZA defends Cynthia Erivo via Instagram. pic.twitter.com/xcnCOSvqx2
— The Wicked Source (@TheWickedSource) November 29, 2025
“Ir not bugging and no one is too woke,” the ‘Snooze’ artist commented in agreement. “It’s CLASSIC Misogynoir! NOTHING ELSE !!! can’t believe it’s openly a thing in 2025.
“everyone’s gonna have cognitive dissonance 2 years later like “remember when everyone attacked Cynthia for being black bald and nurturing?… that was crazy” ..it could jus stop now lol 🤷🏾♀️,” she concluded.
As noted by Complex, SZA has spoken up for Erivo before, namely when the entertainer was named as one British GQ‘s Men of the Year, as she has been for the US edition this year.
“I’m confused .. it’s 2025,” SZA responded, writing in a TikTok comment. “Kim Kardashian and so many other women have been chosen. I’m also man of the year. It’s the category name .. not an identity.. I’m sorry but this is a non topic.”
Elsewhere, scrutiny from the press tour has pushed Grande to give fans a “friendly reminder” not to comment on her body in a new social media post. It follows she and Erivo recently sharing emotional farewells to their respective Wicked characters on Instagram.
“I’ll simply say this,” Erivo wrote. “Take my hand and walk with me to the end of this road paved with gold and hopefully, the things that I’ve found, might find you too. Thank you for letting me be your Elphaba.”
Wicked: For Good has scored a three-star review from NME, with Nick Levine writing: “The one truly showstopping moment is Elphaba and Glinda’s climactic rendition of ‘For Good’, a big, blustery show tune that sums up their entire relationship. Wicked: For Good doesn’t defy gravity like its predecessor but fans will want to hold space for a sequel with a very poignant payoff.”