When tickets for Wicked went on sale earlier this month, a poster was released that paid homage to the classic piece of artwork used for the Broadway musical. It wasn't fully "accurate," though, leading to various fan edits surfacing on social media which were meant to bring it more in line with the original (many of which have racked up millions of views).
That included giving Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba red lipstick and having the character's witch hat cover the actor's eyes. As best we can tell, no changes were made to Ariana Grande's Glinda, despite the fact she was in a pink dress rather than a white one.
Now, Erivo has lashed out at the fans who made those, calling the edited poster "deeply hurtful." Taking to Instagram, she said, "This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful [AI] of us fighting, equal to people posing the question 'is your p*ssy green.' None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us."
After pointing out that the original poster was simply an illustration, the Pinocchio star added, "I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer...because without words we communicate with our eyes."
"Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful," Erivo concluded.
There are bound to be some fans who will now feel attacked by the actor for what they probably felt were harmless edits to bring the one-sheet more in line with the stage production's poster. There's also a risk her comments are misinterpreted and treated like a disregard for the musical, potentially leading to some of Wicked's hardcore fanbase rejecting this adaptation.
Still, Erivo clearly feels strongly about the changes, as is her right, and decided to voice that in the blistering Instagram Stories you can read in full below.
Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony-winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths.
Glinda's unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Wicked arrives in theaters on November 22. Wicked Part Two follows on November 21, 2025.