Ariana Grande anticipates there will be a larger conversation to be had about her Wicked character Glinda’s sexuality after the release of the second film later this year.
The actress, 31, delved into the topic of Glinda’s sexuality once again in a new interview with Variety, after she was previously accused of ‘queerbaiting’.
Grande was joined by her co-star Cynthia Erivo, 37, who plays the Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba, and shared she believed Glinda and Elphaba are ‘in love with each other’ but that it’s ‘platonic.’
When asked to clarify her recent comments about Glinda being ‘a bit queer’, Grande shared, ‘I think she’s a person who loves so much, and I do think that it goes beyond gender, and I think that’s a common theme in Oz.’
‘I also think that the ways in which she loves Elphaba so much, and that forgiveness and that unconditional love that they share — I think they’re in love with each other. I know, yes, it’s platonic…’
The star then added, ‘But we’ll talk about it more in depth in movie two.’
Ariana Grande, 31, anticipates there will be a larger conversation to be had about her Wicked character Glinda’s sexuality after the release of the second film later this year; seen in 2024
Grande delved into the topic of Glinda’s sexuality once again in an interview with Variety, after she was previously accused of ‘queerbaiting’ by fans; seen with Cynthia Erivo in a Wicked still
Elsewhere in the interview the stars discussed how they ‘took care of one another’ during their emotional, much-mocked press tour for Jon M. Chu’s $150M-budget big-screen adaptation of the 2003 Broadway musical.
It comes after Grande stated that Glinda ‘might be a little in the closet’ during an interview in November.
Grande and Erivo sat down with U.K. outlet Gay Times, and were asked about fans who ship their characters as a romantic duo.
However, Ariana’s answers sparked backlash from some fans, who accused her of ‘queerbaiting.’
‘Glinda might be a little in the closet. You never know! Give it a little more time,’ she said in the interview.
Grande also said Oz is a ‘celebration of uniqueness’ adding, ‘everyone is just so beautifully queer and that roots all the way back to the L. Frank Baum books, where, like, literally the most commonly used word in the books is “queer.”‘
The star went on to say that ‘everyday in the Emerald City [the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz] is a Pride parade… even like the chickens, those chickens are gay.’
Elsewhere in the interview she called Doctor Dillamond, played by Peter Dinklage, a ‘gay icon.’
Grande was joined by her co-star Cynthia, who plays the Wicked Witch of the West Elphaba, and shared she believed Glinda and Elphaba are ‘in love with each other’ but that it’s ‘platonic’
When asked to clarify her recent comments about Glinda being ‘a bit queer’, Grande shared, ‘I think she’s a person who loves so much, and I do think that it goes beyond gender, and I think that’s a common theme in Oz’
!['I think they're [Glinda and Elphaba] in love with each other. I know, yes, it's platonic¿' the star said, and then added, 'But we'll talk about it more in depth in movie two'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/02/23/93693489-14245541-image-a-17_1735862111613.jpg)
‘I think they’re [Glinda and Elphaba] in love with each other. I know, yes, it’s platonic…’ the star said, and then added, ‘But we’ll talk about it more in depth in movie two’
Meanwhile, Erivo said of her green witch, ‘I think Elphie, she goes wherever the wind blows.’
‘I think she loves Glinda. I think she loves love. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating the deep connection that both of them have.’
‘They do have a relationship. It is true love, which is probably why people are shipping it, you know?’ Erivo added. ‘Because what they build with each other is an unbreakable bond and love.’
Grande then said of her Good Witch character, ‘And trust and truth. Just such a safe space for one another, which is what all relationships should be, whether it’s romantic or platonic.’
‘I mean, it is just a true love, and I think that transcends sexuality,’ Grande shared.
‘It’s just kind of a deep safety within each other. And that’s probably why they ship it.’
The interviewer then asked if everyone in Oz was LGBTQ+.
‘I think so, a little bit,’ Cynthia said. ‘Yeah,’ Ariana concurred.
In Wicked, Glinda and Elphaba start as enemies but grow into friends while they are in school.
It comes after Grande stated that Glinda ‘might be a little in the closet’ during an interview with the Gay Times in November, prompting fans to accuse her of ‘queerbating’
She also said that Doctor Dillamond (pictured), who is voiced by Peter Dinklage in the movie, is a ‘gay icon’ and that ‘everyday in the Emerald City is a Pride parade… even like the chickens, those chickens are gay’
Following the interview fans quickly took online, with one writing: ‘the queerbaiting is getting too out of hand’
‘OH????’ another one simply said
Another fan added: ‘ariana reposting gelphie memes onto her story, liking a post abt the flower fields being lesbian colored, saying the boy is mine is about elphaba, and then saying glinda is in the closet…’
Another asked: ‘Why can’t they just be platonic?’
‘Ariana is going hard on this ship! First she says Glinda is a little in the closet and now she’s wearing Elphie’s hat?! Girl’
However some fans had a different outlook, with one commenting on X: ‘Ariana confirmed Glinda is a little out of the closet! We won!’
‘As a theater kid all I can say is Glinda is definitely in the closet and not a little bit’
‘ariana grande has officially won my endorsement by acknowledging lesbian glinda thank you,’ someone else chimed in
There are romantic plots in the film, as Glinda pursues Prince Fiyero, who’s secretly interested in Elphaba, and Boq (played by Grande’s real-life boyfriend Ethan Slater) pines for Glinda, who doesn’t return his affections.
Following the interview fans quickly took online, with one writing: ‘the queerbaiting is getting too out of hand.’
Queerbaiting is a marketing technique in which creators hint at same-sex romance or other LGBTQ+ representation, without actually depicting it.
Another asked: ‘Why can’t they just be platonic?’
‘OH????’ another one simply said.
Another fan added: ‘ariana reposting gelphie memes onto her story, liking a post abt the flower fields being lesbian colored, saying the boy is mine is about elphaba, and then saying glinda is in the closet…’
‘Ariana is going hard on this ship! First she says Glinda is a little in the closet and now she’s wearing Elphie’s hat?! Girl.’
However some fans had a different outlook, with one commenting on X: ‘Ariana confirmed Glinda is a little out of the closet! We won!’
Wicked opened in theaters on November 22, 2024 and the sequel, Wicked: For Good, will premiere in cinemas on November 21, 2025
The leading ladies also did another interview with GLAAD, where they were asked about what they hoped LGBTQ audiences would gain from Wicked.
‘That you deserve all the good things. That your difference is what makes you special. That your queerness is beautiful. That I love you.’
‘Elphaba is just like you, and she understands what it feels like to be alone and to feel different, but that doesn’t make you any less special than you were born to be,’ Erivo said.
Speaking about the fantasy world of The Wizard of Oz, Grande added: ‘Oz is a very queer place and has always been, even from the L. Frank Baum books. It’s always been queer.’
Wicked opened in theaters on November 22, 2024 and the sequel, Wicked: For Good, will premiere in cinemas on November 21, 2025.
The $150M-budget, critically-acclaimed fantasy flick has amassed $643.8M at the global box office since opening.