At the London premiere of the new Hollywood sequel Wicked for Good, stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo told reporters that The Wizard of Oz has “always been a queer place,” adding, “the gayer, the better.”
The remarks followed a reporter’s question about what Grande and Erivo would say to LGBTQ fans of the original film and its remakes. After both stars responded with “We love you,” Grande went a step further with her comments in an attempt to revise the history of the original iconic work of fiction.
“Oz has always been a queer place,” Grande blurted out. “A safe space for queer people, for every different color of the rainbow, for everybody. Read the L Frank Baum books. It’s the truth. You’re safe with us. We love you so much. The gayer, the better.”
#CynthiaErivo and #ArianaGrande love you! 💚🫧
At the London premiere of #WickedForGood, we asked the dynamic duo to share a message for the LGBTQIA+ community. And, for the #Gelphie stans, they shared a few words just for you pic.twitter.com/PoGJ5gQUHw— GAY TIMES (@gaytimes) November 11, 2025
However, there are no explicitly gay or queer characters in the famous Wizard of Oz books by American writer L Frank Baum.
Both stars are known for controversial remarks and performances. In 2015, Grande sparked backlash after being caught on camera at a doughnut shop licking pastries and putting them back before declaring that she “hates America.”
This past August, Erivo, a black queer woman of Nigerian descent, portrayed Jesus in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl, mocking Him and Christianity.
Cynthia Erivo as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar.
Is this blasphemy?
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) August 3, 2025
Wicked For Good is the follow-up to last year’s Wicked. It is set to open in theaters on November 21.
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