There’s no break for the wicked.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are receiving backlash online after they were prompted to describe each other’s auras during the premiere of their film *Wicked: For Good* in Paris on Friday.
“It’s yellow,” Grande, 32, noted about Erivo. “Like sunshine. And, um, I think there’s some purple in there, too,” she said.
Erivo, 38, responded by saying, “That’s very nice. I see it as a sky blue, kind of. Maybe a light blue, and, I guess, like an orange sunset.”
The two kept engaging with reporters and expressed their appreciation for the unusual question of aura descriptions.
“We’ve never been asked that before,” they chimed in together. “Wow, that’s a great question!”
Despite their light-hearted exchange, fans took to social media to mock the “annoying” aura conversation.
“Everything is so nice, but this really irritates me,” one commented.
<p”Honestly, I don’t think I’ll witness anything like this again,” another remarked, referencing last year’s press tour for Wicked.
“We can make space for them,” noted a third user. “Didn’t I tell you?”
“Seems toned down compared to last year, which is clever,” said someone else. “If we had another intense press conference like last year, it would’ve driven everyone nuts and maybe turned some away from the new films.”
On the flip side, other fans defended them, pointing out the fun nature of their aura exchange.
“They’re so annoying… and I love it!” one fan expressed. “It’s just amusing to me; it doesn’t hurt anyone.”
“I really enjoy how they give each other colors that complement,” someone else added. “It’s just so entertaining.”
“I adore them together,” affirmed another. “I’m just not ready for this to end.”
Grande and Erivo made headlines last year when Out magazine’s Tracy Gilchrist mentioned how fans felt “spaced out” but also “powerful” with the song “Defying Gravity” from *Wicked*.
Erivo was overwhelmed when she replied, “I didn’t even know that was happening. It sounds really powerful,” placing a hand on her chest. “That’s what I’ve always wanted.”
Grande echoed, “I had no idea that was going on,” while holding Erivo’s finger.
But after their interview gained significant attention, both admitted they were puzzled by the phrase “holding space” that Gilchrist referred to.
“I didn’t even know that was a thing,” Erivo told *Variety* last December. “I was unaware it was happening.”
Grande added, “So yeah, I had no clue what that meant. The first sentence was a total mystery to me. After that, I couldn’t follow what was happening or how it all connected.”
“Oh, what was she saying? What was I supposed to grasp?” the Grammy winner went on. “I just wanted to be present because something important seemed to be happening, but I wasn’t sure how to engage.”
*Wicked: For Good,* the sequel and final installment to last year’s *Wicked,* is set to be released in theaters on November 21st.
