Video: Cynthia Erivo Opens Up About Singapore Fan Encounter During WICKED Premiere on TODAY

Last week, BroadwayWorld reported a moment from the Wicked: For Good Singapore premiere when Cynthia Erivo shielded her co-star Ariana Grande from a fan who jumped over barricades to get to the actress on the yellow carpet. On a visit to TODAY, the Tony winner opened up about the experience, sharing her "instinct" to protect Grande from the man.

“I wasn’t really thinking,” said Erivo on the morning show. “I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe. I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but you never know with those things, and I wanted to make sure that she was okay. That was my first instinct.” 

The fan, identified as social media influencer Johnson Wen, was later charged with being a public nuisance and sentenced to nine days in jail. 

During her TODAY show appearance, Erivo spoke about their close bond with Grande, noting their "long-lasting friendship... We’re kind of like sisters at this moment in time. And I think we’ve both learned from each other and given each other some really, really beautiful gifts." Watch the full interview where she also speaks about Elphaba's new song, "No Place Like Home," and her new book, "Simply More."

Get tickets to see Wicked: For Good in theaters and check out critics' reviews here.

Wicked: For Good picks up after the 2024 film. Elphaba, now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard. 

Wicked: For Good will hit theaters on November 21, 2025, and stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose. Other cast members include Tony-nominee Colman Domingo as the voice of the Cowardly Lion and Sharon D. Clarke (Caroline, or Change) as the voice of Elphaba’s childhood nanny, Dulcibear.

The movie is based on Act Two of the musical stage play with music and lyrics by composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, from the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire.