Tag Archives: Cynthia Erivo

Wildest Movie Sex Scenes of 2025: Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson, More

Movies went above and beyond when it came to pushing sexual boundaries in 2025.

Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson entered a throuple with a snowman in action-comedy The Naked Gun, while vampire Hailee Steinfeld spit seductively in Michael B. Jordan’s mouth in Sinners. There was also real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie fusing their bodies together— literally — for this year’s body horror hit Together, and that’s just to name a few.

“I really don’t think we could have done it without having a married couple at the center of it,” Together’s director, Michael Shanks, told The Hollywood Reporter in July. “From an emotional point of view, Dave and Alison have this chemistry that you can see on screen when you watch the performances. You really feel it, and it’s also a fun meta element to the film.”

Shanks added that the “low-budget” element of production also required two people who were innately comfortable with each other for the movie’s more — uncomfortable — moments. (Franco and Brie were asked to wear prosthetics while shooting that required them to remain attached, even during bathroom breaks.)

The Sexiest Movie Scenes of 2024: Challengers’ Steamy 3-Way Kiss and More

“We only had 21 days to shoot it, and it’s a film with pretty ambitious set pieces and ideas. So we needed two lead actors that already had a shorthand, a relationship and a chemistry,” Shanks explained. “We were demanding that they go to places of extreme emotional intimacy, as well as physical intimacy, and without a married couple, I don’t think we could have pulled this off.”

There’s nothing better than a jaw-dropping moment on the big screen. Keep scrolling for Us’ top five wildest movie sex scenes of 2025:

‘Together’

The Top 5 Wildest Movie Sex Scenes of 2025 together tg
Neon

The Dave Franco and Alison Brie-led supernatural body horror film follows a couple who get taken over by a mysterious force that corrupts both their bodies and devolving relationship — and trust Us, it’s even grosser than it sounds. It does, however, seem to do wonders for their sex life, because after Tim drinks magical (cursed) water from a cave, their attraction to each other intensifies.

They become so turned on, in fact, they decide having sex in an elementary school bathroom is a must. If that isn’t icky enough, the couple’s genitals become mysteriously clamped together mid-romp, keeping them from being able to release from each other no matter how hard they try.

Because this a body horror movie — and because Brie and Franco are married in real life — director Michael Shanks doesn’t shy away from showing the entirely uncomfortable and explicit sex moment on screen. Thanks to Shanks’ partner working at a sex toy company at the time, her access to realistic genitalia allowed the movie to use practical effects to make the moment come to life. Lucky Us!

‘The Naked Gun’

The Top 5 Wildest Movie Sex Scenes of 2025 The Naked Guns Sexy Snowman Threesome and More
The Naked Gun

‘Tis the season — for getting frisky with a snowman? After detective Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) and femme fatale Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson) spend the first half of The Naked Gun at odds, sparks begin to fly when spending a few days in an idyllic snow-covered cabin. Cue the romantic montage set to Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” where the pair enjoy various sweet moments together, including building a snowman outside.

Things take a surprising turn when, mid-love fest, the pair find a book titled Spells & Incantations on a shelf and decide to use it to bring their snowman to life. It isn’t long before the trio finds themselves in bed together for a steamy ménage a trois — one that involves dancing in their underwear, caressing each other’s faces and turning the snowman’s hands into a delicious cherry snow cone snack.

All good things come to an end, however, and Frank and Beth eventually turn their attention only on each other. And as their kisses deepen and they spend more time alone, the snowman’s emotions switch from passionate to psychopathic when he decides to take the asthmatic Frank out for good by emptying his inhaler behind his back. Does his murder plot succeed? You’ll have to watch to find out.

‘Mickey 17’

The Top 5 Wildest Movie Sex Scenes of 2025 The Naked Guns Sexy Snowman Threesome and More
Mickey 17 Warner Bros

Is it still a threesome if two of the three people involved are genetically identical? After Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) gives up his body to science, he ends up becoming a test subject in a lab where he continuously dies.

Every time that happens, though, the scientists reprint him and download his memories into a new body. But when Mickey 17 surprisingly survives one near-death experience, he wakes up shocked to see Mickey 18 has been made and is sleeping next to him in bed.

This horrifies Mickey 17, but thrills his girlfriend, Natasha (Naomi Ackie). The pair have been having spicy sex all over, despite their colony’s “anti-sex” rule, and Natasha sees the double Mickey situation as an opportunity. She immediately strips them both down to look at their bodies side by side and suggests a threesome.

Things begin to get heated, as she begins kissing 17 while giving 18 a handjob. But just as the film looks like it’s going to fully commit to the bit, 18 freaks 17 out by licking his fingers and playing with his hair. 17 officially gets the ick and shuts down the moment, much to the others’ chagrin. Still wild, though!

‘Wicked: For Good’

The Top 5 Wildest Movie Sex Scenes of 2025 The Naked Guns Sexy Snowman Threesome and MoreUniversal Pictures
Wicked: For Good Universal Pictures

Wicked fans went crazy when part 2 of the beloved musical saw Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) leaving Glinda (Ariana Grande) at the altar for Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). With Elphaba being hunted by the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), the lovebirds run off into the forest together where they finally confess their mutual love.

As Elphaba begins to sing “As Long as You’re Mine” to Fiyero — while sporting a fashionable sweater the internet has lovingly dubbed her “sex cardigan” — the pair lock eyes before clothes start to slowly come off. As their passion intensifies, they begin to levitate before getting it on inside a tree. “For the first time, I feel wicked,” Elphaba sheepishly says at the end of the ballad.

‘Sinners’

The Top 5 Wildest Movie Sex Scenes of 2025 The Naked Guns Sexy Snowman Threesome and More
Sinners Warner Bros

Sinners centers on twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who return to their small Southern town to open a club after spending years as gangsters in Chicago. Upon their return, they both reunite with the women they left behind: Smoke’s ex-wife, Annie (Wunmi Mosaku), and Stack’s ex-lover Mary (Hailee Steinfeld).

5 Top New Movies and TV Shows to Watch This Week (December 30-January 2)

After Mary gets turned into a vampire on the night of the club’s opening, she beelines it back to Stack and seduces him on the dance floor. When she drags him off to initiate sex, she begins to furiously kiss and lick his neck and skin. Stack eventually realizes that she’s drooling. He mentions this, and while a comment like that might embarrass other girls, Mary simply replies: “Want some?”

Stack then opens his mouth and Mary spits directly in it, with the camera capturing each kinky second. The twosome then continue to have sex — or so it seems — before it’s revealed that Mary is actually violently ripping into Stack’s neck for blood, ultimately turning him into a vampire too. This is why leaving exes in the past is always the right choice.

Jonathan Bailey and More of the Biggest 2026 Golden Globes Snubs

The countdown to awards season is officially on after the 2026 Golden Globes nominations were revealed — but there were some names left off the list that took fans by surprise.

Comedian Nikki Glaser returns to host the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards on January 11, 2026, following her stellar debut at the awards show earlier this year.

When nominations were announced on Monday, December 8, it was Paul Thomas Anderson‘s One Battle After Another leading the film categories with a total of nine nods, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

On the TV side, the usual suspects were found rounding out the list, from The White Lotus to The Bear and Only Murders in the Building. New limited series including All Her Fault and Adolescence also have multiple opportunities to take home trophies.

Golden Globes 2026 Nominations: See Complete List of Film and TV Nominees

While there are some historic nominations to celebrate — Wicked‘s Cynthia Erivo is the first Black woman to be nominated twice for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, for example — there were also a few notable snubs.

Scroll down to see which A-listers were not featured on the list of 2026 Golden Globe nominations:

Jonathan Bailey (Wicked: For Good)

Jonathan Bailey Wicked For Good
Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

While costars Erivo and Ariana Grande each earned their second Golden Globe nominations for their respective performances as Elphaba and Glinda — the first time in history two actors from the same films were nominated twice for the same roles — there was no love for Jonathan Bailey‘s Fiyero.

Robert Pattinson (Die My Love)

Jennifer Lawrence is up for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her impressive work in the Lynne Ramsay psychodrama, but scene partner Robert Pattinson was nowhere to be found on the nominations list.

Jennifer Lopez (Kiss of the Spider Woman)

Jennifer Lopez Kiss of the Spider Woman
Lionsgate/Courtesy Everett Collection

Though there was chatter leading up to awards season that Kiss of the Spider Woman might earn Jennifer Lopez her long-awaited first Oscar nod, fans were surprised to see her out of the running for the 2026 Golden Globes.

Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us)

The Last of Us has been an industry favorite since its premiere in 2023, but the HBO original only has one nod this year for Bella Ramsey (Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series — Drama).

Sydney Sweeney (Christy)

Sydney Sweeney Christy
Black Bear/Courtesy Everett Collection

For better or worse, 2025 was the year of Sydney Sweeney, but her knockout performance as boxer Christy Martin in the David Michôd-directed biopic wasn’t enough to earn her a Golden Globes nomination.

“New Heights”

Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce‘s fan-favorite podcast was left off the longlist of nominees for the Golden Globes’ inaugural Best Podcast award, but some of Us were still holding out hope that luck would change for the NFL stars. (And while we’re at it, justice for Kylie Kelce‘s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast.)

Hailee Steinfeld (Sinners)

Hailee Steinfeld Sinners
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Sinners is all over the 2026 nominations — Ryan Coogler is up for both Best Director and Best Screenplay, and Michael B. Jordan has a shot at winning Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for his dual roles — but Hailee Steinfeld‘s turn as Mary wasn’t among the film’s seven nods.

Jake Lacy (All Her Fault)

Peacock’s All Her Fault had one of the most shocking twist endings on TV this year, thanks to Jake Lacy portrayal of the show’s gaslighter leading man. Lacy’s resume speaks for itself — from Girls to The White Lotus — but he still hasn’t managed to nab a Golden Globes nod.

Ariana Grande and Adam Sandler Talk Tapping Into ‘Pain’ for Emotional Roles

Ariana Grande and Adam Sandler gave Us the laughs — and tears — we needed after a long week as they kicked off this year’s Variety & CNN’s Actors on Actors.

Grande, 32, and Sandler, 59, sat down for a conversation that aired on Friday, December 5, detailing what it’s like to film emotionally charged scenes.

“I’m a crier in life, but it’s not as easy when you’re performing. It’s not a party trick,” Grande said. “I invented triggers for Glinda [in Wicked and Wicked: For Good], so that I didn’t have to touch on my own because certain themes in this film are so adjacent to my life.”

She continued, “I had to design her pain so I didn’t need to reference my own. How are you with having to get the same moment over and over? These big moments when they’re in a wide shot and they keep coming in tighter and tighter.”

From ‘Wicked’ to ‘It Ends With Us’: Looking Back at 2024’s Wild Press Tours

In real life, however, the pop star revealed that she cried “five separate times” watching Sandler in Jay Kelly.

“I was choked up, but tears falling out of the eyes kind of crying,” she said. “You’re just so extraordinary in it, so congratulations on that.”

Sandler, for his part, also finds it difficult to tap into his tears.

“I think I’m a person who I don’t want to let down the crew that’s working hard there,” he said. “So I’m like, ‘OK, I’m getting it going good. These people aren’t going to have to sit here and try to and have to wait on me getting to certain places.’ I don’t want to let myself down because I got so excited about when I read this [Jay Kelly] script and about certain scenes. … I don’t want to blow what’s written.”

Grande and Sandler’s Actors on Actors episode comes alongside the release of their respective new films, both of which are garnering awards buzz: Grande for her portrayal of Glinda in Wicked: For Good, and Sandler in Netflix’s Jay Kelly.

“It was a thrill for the family,” Sandler said of sitting down with Grande. “[My] family all jumped up and down that I get to spend time with you.”

Earlier this month, Sandler confessed that while he’s honored to be in the conversation for this year’s Oscars, he’s ultimately just excited that he got to be a part of the film,  which follows an aging movie star (George Clooney) as he travels through Europe with his manager (Sandler), confronting his life choices and the sacrifices he’s made for his career. Laura Dern, Greta Gerwig, Riley Keough and Billy Crudup also star.

From ‘Wicked’ to ‘It Ends With Us’: Looking Back at 2024’s Wild Press Tours

“Well, that’s real cool and real nice of everybody to say, and I’m just happy I got to be in it,” he told People at the New York City premiere. “My man Noah Baumbach wrote [and directed] it, kind of put it all together, got the performances he wanted out of everybody, and I’m proud to be in it.”

Grande, meanwhile, nabbed an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2024 for her role as Glinda in Wicked part 1, alongside nine other nominations for the Jon Chu-directed musical adaptation. (Da’Vine Joy Randolph took home the win for The Holdovers.) The first movie followed part one of the Broadway musical source material, centering on Glinda and Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) enemies to friends dynamic.

“I can’t believe it. It’s very surreal,” Grande told The Hollywood Reporter in January 2024 of the nod. “It is just the absolute honor of my life. Getting to play Glinda was the greatest gift of my life, so just to be recognized in this way for that is an unfathomable honor. And I’m so deeply moved and grateful, and it is far beyond comprehension.”

Wicked part 2, meanwhile, hit theaters in November and picks up at the start of the play’s second act. While For Good received less stellar reviews than the first film, Grande and Erivo have been continually lauded for their performances. If the pair nab nominations at this year’s Academy Awards, they will join a very short list of eight total performers in Oscars history to be recognized twice for the same role.

5 Best Musicals to Watch After ‘Wicked: For Good’: ‘Into the Woods’ and More

Erivo, for her part, will also be participating in Actors on Actors later this month, in a conversation with Hugh Jackman, who stars in the upcoming Song Sung Blue. Grande and Sandler are the first to kick the series, which, for the first time ever, will air on CNN in a new partnership between the network and Variety throughout this month. Other pairings include Julia Roberts and Sean Penn, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jacob Elordi, Jonathan Bailey and David Corenswet, Brendan Fraser and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and more.

“Our next season, in which Hollywood A-listers once again get candid in one-on-one conversations, features some of the most revelatory, intimate and hilarious moments yet,” Ramin Setoodeh, Variety’s co-editor in chief and co-president, said in a statement. “We cannot wait for fans of this franchise to watch — and rewatch — these episodes on CNN’s new streaming offering and on Variety‘s social media channels.”

Elphaba’s ‘Sex Cardigan’ Sparks Debate Among ‘Wicked: For Good’ Viewers

Has a fictional character’s piece of clothing ever had a greater social impact than Elphaba’s chunky knit sweater in Wicked: For Good?

The item of clothing has become known by fans as the “sex cardigan,” after Cynthia Erivo’s character sported the relaxed-fit shrug atop black lingerie before getting intimate with Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero in the film. In the scene, Elphaba and Fiyero belt out an enchanting rendition of “As Long as You’re Mine” before doing the deed, but her outfit choice is pretty much all anyone can talk about since the film’s Friday, November 21, release.

The look certainly drummed up mixed reactions from fans on social media, with some explaining that they were fully on board with Elphaba’s cozy attire, referring to it as “the fashion moment of the year.”

“Those who are hating on elphaba’s cardigan just don’t know the powers a truly comfy cardigan can hold over a girl,” one X user wrote, while another said, “Y’all are laughing at Elphaba’s ‘sex cardigan’ as if Anthropologie isn’t currently planning to sell that thing for $140 and people will buy it. #WickedForGood.”

Ariana Grande Ditches Pink for Black at ‘Wicked: For Good’ Premiere

Another X user quipped, “Why is everyone saying elphabas cardigan is ugly do i just have bad taste😭😭,” as a fourth person wrote, “Unironically id love the elphaba cardigan like a full blanket just hugging you? Sign me tf up!!!”

“Y’all calling it Elphaba’s sex cardigan is taking me out lol…but it’s also good to know that I wasn’t the only one who wanted one as soon as she put it on,” another fan of the cozy jumper wrote.

Others weren’t so keen on the outfit choice, with one X user writing, “Can’t enjoy the damn song cause I keep getting flashbacks of that ugly ass cardigan elphaba wore.”

Elphaba's 'Sex Cardigan' Sparks Debate Among Wicked: For Good Viewers
Courtesy of Cynthia Erivo/Instagram

A second person who wasn’t a fan of the look said, “Elphaba’s sex cardigan is so insanely distracting in wicked 2.”

“That cardigan is ridiculous,” a third person echoed, as a fourth person mentioned, “Forget Elphaba having a sex cardigan, I’m still astounded they got away with Fiyero & Elphaba having offscreen sex in a ‘family movie’ to begin with. AND MAINTAINED THAT PG RATING. Welcome back BIG-era PG rating.”

The scene itself has caused quite the stir with some viewers of the PG film, including influencer Sara Burnett, who revealed via Instagram on Sunday, November 23, that she walked out of the theater with her children during the steamy moment.

“I am not sitting in a movie that is casting legit spells over me and my family and allowing my children to watch scenes where men are sexually taking off women’s clothing and music that is talking about them laying in bed together. & I have a feeling that the spells cast in this movie weren’t just some made up words.. they had purpose in them!” she captioned her post. “The Bible tells us to stay far away from that and my children even looked at me with big eyes and felt uncomfortable in certain parts of the movie. The mom gut knew it was time to walk out.”

She continued, “Now if you’ve watched the movie and loved it, that’s fine! This is our personal conviction and I we feel strongly about things our girls watch and the spirits we allow in us. — on another note, this was a great learning moment for our kids. Learning that when we are in situations that we don’t feel are right then we need the courage to walk away. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time that our girls have to walk away from a situation that isn’t from the Lord.”

Influencer Doubles Down on ‘Wicked 2’ Walkout Over Love Scene

A social-media influencer is doubling down on her decision to pull her kids out of a Wicked: For Good screening. 

Sara Burnett took to her Instagram Stories on Monday, November 24, sharing Us Weekly’s previous story about why she walked out of the Wicked sequel. She said “we will never always make the right choices but when in a situation where you can make a choice to stand for your beliefs.. do it.”

The day prior, Burnett posted her negative review of the film via Instagram, writing, “Now hear me out — we LOVE theatre & musicals. We love appreciating the talents and God given gifts that people have. Seeing the acting, the arts and all the creativity. But gosh, I am not sitting in a movie that is casting legit spells over me and my family and allowing my children (5yr old included) to watch scenes where men are sexually taking off women’s clothing and music that is talking about them laying in bed together.”

In a video accompanying the rant, Burnett, a self-described “virtual hope spreader” and “anchor in Christ,” sits in a car sipping a Stanley cup. 

A Review of All the Songs on the ‘Wicked: For Good’ Soundtrack

In her caption, she recalled “feeling that the spells cast in this movie weren’t just some made up words.. they had purpose in them! The Bible tells us to stay far away from that and my children even looked at me with big eyes and felt uncomfortable in certain parts of the movie. The mom gut knew it was time to walk out.”

Wicked: For Good, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has a PG (parental guidance) rating from the Motion Picture Association for “action/violence, some suggestive material and thematic material.”

The movie opened on Friday, November 21, and dominated the weekend box office, collecting $150 million at the domestic box office and $226 million worldwide. According to The Ankler, a newsletter covering the entertainment industry, the sequel’s opening-night audiences gave it an “A” CinemaScore rating. A 61-percent majority of moviegoers were between the ages of 18 and 34, and 70 percent were female — further evidence that blockbusters targeting women perform exceptionally well in theaters. 

Burnett objected to a sexy sequence featuring a shirtless Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and Elphaba (Erivo), mostly clad in a chunky gray cardigan sweater. The lovestruck duo croon “As Long As You’re Mine” inside Elphaba’s hideaway. 

Does Fiyero End Up With Glinda or Elphaba in ‘Wicked: For Good’?

While Burnett’s post drew support from like-minded followers, others were grateful that they brought their children to watch director Jon M. Chu‘s much-anticipated follow-up to Wicked: Part 1.

“So happy I took my kids to see it! They’re too little to read into any of it and they see all that stuff as icky anyways,” one follower wrote. “My kids will grow up not hiding and having life normalized. So happy for them.”

Another reminded Burnett: “You had every opportunity to do your research on whether the content aligned with your values before allowing your kids to even see part 1. Ridiculous.”

Does ‘Wicked: For Good’ Have a Post-Credits Scene? Ending Explained

Wicked: For Good closes the book on Elphaba and Glinda’s tale of friendship.

The movie musical, which hit theaters on Friday, November 21, picks up where the first part left off with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) exiled from Oz after learning that the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) is a fraud. Wicked is based on the Broadway show of the same name.

Wicked: For Good follows the plot of the second act of the play closely — but there are new scenes added alongside new solos for Erivo and Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda. While Elphaba is dubbed the villainous Wicked Witch of the West in For Good, Glinda sides with Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and the Wizard as she spreads their lies despite knowing the truth, like Elphaba.

Keep scrolling for a breakdown on how Wicked: For Good ends:

Warning: Spoilers below for Wicked: For Good.

How Does ‘Wicked: For Good’ End?

While Elphaba and Glinda find themselves at odds for the majority of the film, they come together at the end. After everything that has happened, Glinda realizes that she is on the wrong side and vows to help Elphaba. The women are reunited and find themselves on opposite sides of a wall. Elphaba and Glinda say goodbye and confess that they love each other.

Dorothy (Bethany Weaver) enters the mix as she pours water on Elphaba. Glinda believes that Dorothy killed Elphaba but the witch was hiding in a secret passageway that she learned about from Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey).

Glinda gives the green bottle of potion that belonged to Elphaba’s mother to the Wizard. It then dawns on him that he is Elphaba’s real father. The Wizard leaves Oz, leaving Glinda in charge, and she subsequently arrests Madame Morrible.

While everyone believes they’re dead, Elphaba and Fiyero, who is now the Scarecrow, both survive and decide to leave Oz together. Glinda stays behind, vowing to the citizens she will make life better for them all. The scene is the same as the opening from the first movie when Glinda informs the town that the Wicked Witch is dead.

Wicked: For Good ends with Elphaba looking back at Oz, being reminded of Glinda. On the flip side, Glinda is looking forward to and thinking about Elphaba. The final scene is a flashback of Elphaba and Glinda in a field. Glinda whispers something into Elphaba’s ear, recreating the iconic poster for the Broadway play that inspired the movie.

Is There a Post-Credits Scene in ‘Wicked: For Good’?

MCDWIFOUV061 Does Wicked For Good Have a PostCredits Scene Ending Explained
Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

There is no post-credits scene for Wicked: For Good, and the final scene is an homage to the Broadway play.

Will There Be a 3rd ‘Wicked’ Movie?

The Broadway show only has two acts. However, director Jon M. Chu has previously stated that he is open to the possibility of a third movie. Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz and screenwriter Winnie Holzman teased that they’ve been in talks for another project that’s “not Wicked part three or four.”

“We’re actually talking about something. It’s under wraps, and we can’t say [much],” Schwartz said in a November 2024 interview with Ryan Jay. “But there is something we’re talking about.”

Ariana Grande Addresses Fans ‘Wishing Danger’ on Her After Missing Premiere

UPDATE: 11/4/25 at 6 p.m. ETAriana Grande posted and deleted a statement condemning ill wishes toward her and her costars after revealing she would be missing the Wicked: For Good premiere in São Paulo, Brazil.

“Please don’t wish danger on us,” Grande, 32, wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post, per People, hours after she told her followers her plane experienced a “safety issue” and could not take off on time on Tuesday, November 4.

“We did everything we could and I promise you no one is more upset than I am, I promise,” the post continued. “No matter how upset or disappointed you are, please please do not wish danger on us or assume that we didn’t try .. there was no other time for me to leave and these plans have been booked for months.”

Grande said that she wrapped another film — Focker In-Law — on October 31 and “worked all day the 1st and the 2nd as well” just as her other costars did. She noted that she was scheduled to leave for São Paulo at the same time as her castmates.

“It just so happened that this plane had a safety problem and I have explained why finding another option was impossible,” Grande wrote, adding that she has “been looking forward” to the premiere for a year. “Sending lots of love to you all. I hope it’s a beautiful and safe night. I love Brazil, I always have, I always will.”

In another Instagram Story, Grande tagged director Jon M. Chu and costars Jonathan Bailey and Cynthia Erivo, writing, “Now please go and have a beautiful time celebrating these absolutely brilliant and magnificent human beings and performances tonight. I am with you in spirit! I love you so much.”

Original story below:

Ariana Grande was heartbroken to announce that she will not be attending the Wicked: For Good premiere in São Paulo, Brazil, with the rest of her costars.

“Brazil, I can’t believe this is happening and I am beyond devastated to be sending this message,” Grande, 32, wrote via an Instagram Story on Tuesday, November 4. “A few hours ago, my team and I had to deplane our flight, as they had to do maintenance on the plane due to a safety issue and it will not be taking off until 11am tomorrow which means that I would not be making it in time for the Wicked For Good São Paulo premiere.”

Grande said that both her team and Universal “have tried every single thing possible to fix this.”

“We’ve searched every other flight, overnight, early morning, connecting flights, commercial and also private options and absolutely nothing was available or possible that would get us there in time, even in attempting a private option, there is a permit necessary in order to fly from here that takes time to attain,” the “7 Rings” singer continued. “I am so heartbroken that I’m unable to be there with you all. We sincerely tried everything we could and I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”

Ariana Grande Recalls ‘Long, Emotional Process’ Filming New ‘Wicked’ Song

The post concluded, “Please shower my incredible castmates with all of the love that I wish I could be showering you with and have the most beautiful celebration. And again, I am so, so very sorry.”

Tuesday’s premiere in São Paulo kicks off the official press tour for the sequel of the 2024 box office sensation starring Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang and Michelle Yeoh. The cast will then be traveling to Paris for the Friday, November 7, premiere, London on Monday, November 10, Singapore on Thursday, November 13, and will be rounding out the press tour in New York City on Monday, November 17.

MCDWIFO_UV041
© Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

Longtime fans of Grande know how long she had been dreaming of being part of Wicked before being cast as Glinda the Good.

“I can’t think of a time when I wanted something the way I wanted to play this role,” Grande said on the “Fresh Air” podcast in February. “It’s an incredible privilege to be a part of this version of it and to have it be so accessible to so many people and to see the response be what it’s been. I think so many new theater kids have been born.”

Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo’s Most Emotional Moments on ‘Wicked’ Press Tour

Grande also reflected on her unbreakable friendship with Erivo, 38, which began when they both found out they were cast in Wicked in 2021.

“It’s something that was important to us from the very beginning, was to build something real and to know that we could have a safe space in each other for this journey because it was going to be tremendous,” she said. “We knew it was going to be years and years of some of the hardest work of our lives, and it’s something that we started building from the day we were cast.”

Wicked: For Good hits theaters on Friday, November 21.

Cynthia Erivo ‘Never Daydreamed’ About Reconnecting With Estranged Dad

Cynthia Erivo is opening up about being estranged from her father.

“I don’t know what my life would be like if he was still around, and I can’t say whether it would be better or worse,” Erivo, 38, said during her Harper’s Bazaar interview published on Tuesday, October 28. “Better not to find out. I’ve never daydreamed about that, because it’s not going to happen. And the life that I have, I am so happy in it.”

Erivo’s interview shared in the November 2025 issue comes ahead of her memoir, Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much, set to be released on Tuesday, November 18.

She discussed her family dynamics in the book, like being raised by her mom, Edith, in London. The Wicked star’s father left her and her sister when she was 16 and “disowned” them, according to the Harper’s Bazaar interview.

Will Kristin Chenoweth Be in ‘Wicked: For Good?’ She Says …

Erivo has previously discussed their strained relationship in a 2021 interview, sharing that the last time they saw each other was at a cousin’s wedding more than a decade ago.

“This is me admitting that there are things that he’s missed and I’m sad that he’s missed them,” she told Glossary magazine at the time, discussing the song “You’re Not Here,” which was written about their strained relationship.

“There are things that he’s going to miss and I’m sad that he’s going to miss them,” she added. “There is a part of me that wishes I could have my dad in my life. But there’s also a part of me that’s actually very comfortable because I’ve written this, knowing that he’s not going to be a part of my life at all.”

Erivo said at the time that she has no issue being “vulnerable” and sharing the story about her family publicly.

“I don’t know if I could have written anything that wasn’t honest,” Erivo admitted. “I want people to know that it is OK to talk about those things. I want them to find solace and comfort in my music. The goal has only ever been to be truthful.”

Is ‘Wicked’ Streaming Yet?

The same is to be said for her upcoming memoir.

“I have felt so supported through all of the wonderful and new things I’ve been able to share, and I thought to myself, maybe I can help someone else move through some of the things that they have going on in their lives,” Erivo wrote on Instagram in June, when announcing her memoir. “So this book is to help anyone who wants to become even more of the person they are meant to become.”

The title, she explained to Harper’s Bazaar, came from the speech Erivo gave while accepting the GLAAD Media Award in May.

“In their quiet solitude, that’s still a measure of rebellion and still deserves a little light,” she told the magazine. “What I wrote about was [that] those of us who are in the light, who are walking around with our lanterns shining bright, should just change the direction of the lanterns and shine it back on people who don’t know where their path is yet.”

Nigerian-born Erivo is the only black acting Oscar nominee

Cynthia Erivo: ‘It’s Not Enough That I’m the Only One’

This week 20 acting nominees for the Oscars this year were announced and they were all white, excerpt one person called Cynthia Erivo.

Cynthia Erivo is British-Nigerian actor who made her name on Broadway. She has been nominated for playing slave-turned-abolitionist Harriet Tubman in Harriet.

Erivo has two nominations: one for best lead actress and the other in the best original song category, in the same film.

Her Oscar nominations come a week after she snubbed the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) event because of an all-white line-up of acting nominations.

Erivo has reacted to her Oscars nomination telling the LA Times that “It is bittersweet really and truly because while I worked very hard for what was happening I also would have loved to be able to celebrate with other people of color who worked really hard this year also.

I believe there has been incredible work this year and beautiful pieces that have come out not just by people of color but women directors as well. So I’m hoping that I can represent us well once that celebration happens.”

Oscars So White

Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers.


This year’s 19 out of 20 nomination list is the highest number since the outcry in 2015 and 2016 known as #OscarsSoWhite.

If Erivo wins the Oscar this year, that will make her the only the second black person to win in the best actress category, after Halle Berry in 2002.

She has already won the Emmy, Grammy, and a Tony Award, adding the Oscars will make her the youngest person to become a so-called Egot at age 33.

Erivo reacted to the anticipated Egot saying “I have been told that, yes. Which is crazy. But no I didn’t think that it would be at this point [in my career] because I didn’t even know it was possible to do all those things with a Broadway musical. So it’s just wonderful to even have it discussed in this way.”

Source: Africafeeds.com