Universal, the studio behind the massively popular movie adaptation of Wicked, wasted no time holding space correcting the narrative after a rumor spread that Ariana Grande had been paid over 10 times what her co-star Cynthia Erivo earned.
In fact, the two women were paid the same amount, they said.
“Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder. The women received equal pay for their work on Wicked,” a spokesperson for the company told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. The outlet also noted it had confirmed this with other sources close to the production.
No word yet on just how much they might have gotten or how their deals were structured (actors sometimes forgo a larger upfront payment but get “points on the back end,” essentially a percentage of ticket sales). Wicked has actually been split into the movies, with Part Two coming out next year, but they shot both parts together.
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It’s good to know that the two performers received equal pay for a movie that has equal treatment of all as one of its main messages. And it makes sense.
While the two stars made the same salary, only one of them got a boyfriend out of the movie (Erivo is happily partnered up with Lena Waithe).
