Wicked: For Good finally premiered last month, bringing with it a fresh crop of memes about leading singer-actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's close friendship, which some find wholesome while others find quite odd.

The duo had gone viral for their highly emotional press junket leading up to the release of the first Wicked film in 2024, with one moment about taking the lyrics of "Defying Gravity" and really holding space with that and feeling power in that going mega viral on TikTok late last year.

This year, memes about the Wicked stars kicked off during the Singapore premiere of the film, when Cynthia Erivo was captured protecting Ariana Grande from a prankster who had rushed the carpet, springing into action faster than either of their bodyguards.

Here's a recap of all the memes surrounding the two and why they're garnering so much virality online lately.

Where Did Jokes about Cynthia and Ariana’s Close Friendship Originate?

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande teamed up to film Wicked between 2022 and 2024, quickly developing a strong friendship that they were not shy about displaying during the press tour for the film.

In a 2024 interview with talk show host Drew Barrymore, Erivo talked about how she and Grande grew accustomed to comforting each other through physical touch, while Grande has gushed about how building a friendship with Erivo was the greatest privilege of [her] professional life.

Early in the promotional campaign for Wicked, viewers noticed a repeated pattern in which both Erivo and Grande grew overly emotional when responding to simple interview prompts.

In one November 8th, 2024, appearance on the show Jake's Takes, the hosts asked how the two changed each other's lives, a question that promptly led to both women tearing up.

That wasn't the only emotional interview internet users clocked before the release of Wicked, with X / Twitter user @greatestselena posting a compilation of the two tearing up in multiple interview settings and gathering over 30,000 likes on a tweet that read, "are they okay?"

are they okay pic.twitter.com/ze6Yl79QOj

— ‎ً (@greatestselena) November 13, 2024

One specific moment spun off into its own meme cycle. In November 2024, Out.com reporter Tracy E. Gilchrist asked the two how they feel about "people are taking the lyrics of 'Defying Gravity' and really holding space with that and feeling power in that."

Grande and Erivo's stunned, emotional reactions to a question even the reporter later admitted to not fully understanding had people in stitches. I didn't know that was happening, Erivo was later quoted as replying, which itself also became a meme.

pic.twitter.com/NL8VlANzKa

— masha (@MashaParty) November 21, 2024

The clip prompted a flurry of memes that November, with X user @dayglowj0e referencing Murray's "You're Laughing" quote from the 2019 Joker film, writing, "You’re laughing? People are taking the lyrics of 'Defying Gravity' and really holding space with that and you’re laughing?"

Others made jokes about a moment in the clip where Ariana Grande could be seen clutching at a lone finger on Cynthia Erivo's hand to comfort her, as seen in a post by X user @realonx1, who asked, "What was this?"

Another clip from the duo's interviews in which Ariana Grande tries to shoo away a helicopter that was hovering overhead also became the subject of numerous meme edits a whole year later in 2025.

For example, on November 28th, 2025, Redditor _H3LLF1R3 posted a meme to the subreddit /r/memevideos, editing the clip to depict them as Vietnamese rice farmers. The post gathered over 23,000 upvotes in three days.

🚁
byu/_H3LLF1R3 inMemeVideos

What's With All the Memes About Cynthia Erivo 'Protecting' Ariana Grande?

On November 13th, 2025, during the Singapore premiere of Wicked 2, a social-media prankster identified as @pyjamamann rushed the red carpet to put his arm around Ariana Grande in a rather aggressive manner.

A video circulated (reposted by the X account @PopBase) that shows him grabbing Grande and bouncing up and down until Cynthia Erivo intervenes, removes his hands, and then hugs Ariana in a clearly protective gesture.

Cynthia Erivo protects Ariana Grande from a ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere attendee. pic.twitter.com/XQBeQJWZsI

— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 13, 2025

Photos of Cynthia Erivo hugging Ariana Grande protectively began making the rounds on November 13th, as seen in posts by X user @miguelaraizac, who made a post that translates to, "I still can't get over how Cynthia reacted faster than security 😭 she'd literally give her life for Ariana."

The photo of Cynthia Erivo hugging Ariana Grande subsequently became a meme template in which people joked about who or what offers them protection in their lives, like this Facebook post about how someone's spiritual guides keep "an eye on every hater while I stay cute and unbothered 🧿."

While many initial reactions to the clip were very positive, with various people commending Cynthia Erivo for stepping in to protect her friend, video compilations edited to depict Erivo as an overly protective friend led to the incident becoming the subject of memes and playful mockery online.

An example of this is a video montage posted by TikToker @floptonka that gathered over 20 million views in late November 2025.

@floptonka the way cynthia treats ariana genuinely needs to be studied #arianagrande #cynthiaerivo ♬ Hotel – Lawsy

The popularity of the clips and the perceived weirdness of the two celebrities eventually got to the point where people were posting to the /r/conspiracy subreddit, asking, "What is happening with Ariana Grande and Cynthia?"

What Are Some More Memes About Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande?

@thecoochiecomander_41 #son #crine #funny #fyp #wicked ♬ Mobile Phone Vibration 02-02(204955) – OtoLogic

@chisme2470 #arianagrande #ariana #cynthia #wicked #fypシ゚viral ♬ QKThr – Aphex Twin

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For the full history of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entries for more information.