Ariana Grande called out for ‘queerbaiting’ on Glinda and Elphaba’s equation in ‘Wicked’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ariana Grande recently hinted that Glinda, her character in ‘Wicked’, “might be a little in the closet.”

As Grande, 31, recently sat for an interview with UK Gay Times, which also featured her co-star Cynthia Erivo, 37, some fans accused her of “queerbaiting” on the equation between Glinda and Erivo's Elphaba. 

In the film, Grande’s Glinda and Erivo’s Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, start as enemies but slowly become friends in school. However, several fans suspect them to have another connection. 

When Grande was asked about the fans’ speculation, the former Nickelodeon star seemed to fuel everyone’s suspicion with her answers.

Ariana Grande hints at Glinda’s queerness in the interview

Talking to Gay Times, Ariana Grande shared, “Glinda might be a little in the closet. You never know! Give it a little more time.”

The ‘Victorious’ star added that the imaginary place of Oz is a “celebration of uniqueness,” explaining, “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.'”

She further hinted at the queerness of the magical place, adding, “Every day in the Emerald City [the capital city of the Land of Oz] is a Pride parade... even like the chickens, those chickens are gay," reported the Daily Mail.

She also gushed about the character Doctor Dillamond, voiced by Peter Dinklage, and called him a “gay icon.”

Grande’s co-star Erivo also chimed in, adding about her character, “I think Elphie, she goes wherever the wind blows.”

She continued, “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.”

Erivo continued, “They do have a relationship. It is true love, which is probably why people are shipping it, you know?” before adding, “Because what they build with each other is an unbreakable bond and love.”

Grande interjected as she 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.”

The ‘Bang Bang’ songstress added, “I mean, it is just a true love, and I think that transcends sexuality,” before noting, “It's just kind of a deep safety within each other. And that's probably why they ship it.”

As they were asked whether everyone in Oz was queer, Erivo replied, “I think so, a little bit,” and Grande simply agreed.

Ariana Grande said Oz is a ‘very queer place’

In a previous interview with GLAAD, Ariana Grande previously shared that she feels Oz is a “very queer place.”

“Oz is a very queer place and has always been, even from the L Frank Baum books,” shared Grande, before emphasizing, “It's always been queer.”

The ‘Into You’ singer, who has developed a beautiful friendship with her co-star, further shared during the interview that emotions are overflowing while talking about their friendship - both in reel and real life. 

“We've cried 500 times today. And honestly, this is a PSA. So sorry guys,” Grande shared, as Erivo added, “It is what it is. There's just nothing we can do about it.”

Ariana Grande draws flak for hinting Glinda might be 'in the closet' 

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's latest interview drew flak from a section of fans, who accused the 'Yes, And?' singer of "queerbaiting."

One social media user wrote on X, "The queerbaiting is getting too out of hand."

Some people took to the comments section of the Daily Mail article to express their views on the same. One person wrote, "Wow so on trend ......*yawn*."

"More ridiculous wokeness. I shall never surrender," commented another displeased user. 

Someone else noted, "I had zero plans to see this movie and I can definitely say that this interview didn't change a thing."

"Hollywood is completely out of touch with the audience they're trying to sell to," shared another user, who is not pleased with the implied storyline. 

Someone else added, "Oh please...not queer baiting."

"Why do they have to make every thing so freaking woke? Not interested. I hope it flops," complained another. 

Someone else said, "She's just a woke liberal talking nonsense."

However, everyone did not harbor the same opinion as some of the social media users found defended Grande's statement.

One of the fans commented, "She's not a real character, she can be whatever you want her to be. Who cares?"

Someone else added, "Glinda might be a little in the closet” oh girl we KNOW 🩷."

"Ari what do you mean by this?! Does mean we were right about Glinda having a crush on Elphaba?! I'm seeing the movie today and your dropping this s**t on me! 😭," added another.

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