Universal says the “nasty” pay disparity between Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo is a “completely false” rumor

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were given equal treatment for their work on Wicked, with Universal calling rumors of a pay gap between them “completely false.”

“Reports of pay discrepancies between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet material,” a Universal spokesperson tells The Wrap. “The women received equal pay for their work on Wicked.”

Over the weekend, users on TikTok and Reddit spread false claims that Grande was paid $15 million and Erivo was paid $1 million for their roles in the film. Several branches soon followed, such as the New York Post.

“Wicked” covers the first act of the 2003 Broadway play, with a second part coming in November 2025. The two films were shot together — albeit with delays due to the SAG-AFTRA strike last year — and had a combined production budget of $300 million before a costly global marketing campaign.

“Wicked” rejuvenated the box office after weeks of declining box office returns, posting the third-highest opening weekend of 2024 with $114 million from 3,888 theaters.

That trails only “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($211.4 million) and “Inside Out 2” ($154.2 million) on this year’s opening weekend list, breaking the record of $31 million, The 2014 “Into the Woods” had a Broadway adaptation set for the highest opening.

Jon M. Chu’s musical has received excellent reception across the board, including Rotten Tomatoes ratings of 89% from critics and 98% from audiences, an A at CinemaScore and a 5/5 at PostTrak, with an impressive 80% of the Respondents gave the film a grade of “definitely recommend,” the highest rating in the audience survey.

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