Wicked movie 2024: Why do Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo keep crying? Two words.

After what feels like a lifetime, Wicked the movie is finally upon us. But there’s another, even simpler explanation behind all the melodrama surrounding Wicked, from Grande and Erivo’s weepy media appearances, to the messy headlines the cast has inspired within the past two years. The news sent shock waves across tabloids and chat boards not only because of the fuzziness of their relationship timeline—the Slater–Grande rumors emerged days after the announcement of Grande’s separation—but also because Slater, who is most famous for originating the titular role in the Tony-nominated SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical, was, as far as the public knew, happily married to another woman, Lilly Jay, at the time. Though Grande’s relationship remains the juiciest Wicked scandal, controversy was stoked again when Erivo infamously ranted online about her displeasure with some fan art. When a fan edited the live-action poster to more closely resemble the original illustration—the brim of the witch’s hat pulled down, lips curled up into a smirk—Erivo posted a scathing statement to her Instagram Story, calling it the “wildest, most offensive thing” she has seen, “equal to” an A.I.–generated video of her and Grande fighting and a sexually explicit joke about Elphaba’s green skin that has become a meme.