Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are defying gravity in London. While at the London premiere of “Wicked” on Monday night, the stars chatted with Access Hollywood’s digital correspondent Evan Ross Katz about how special it is to be back in the UK, where they filmed the musical adaptation. She also detailed a moment when she improvised during an emotional scene in the highly-anticipated film.
Originally appeared on E! Online
Together, Cynthia Erivo and Lena Waithe are unlimited.
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The "Wicked" actress has received sweet support from her longtime partner throughout the film’s multiple premieres, including her attendance at the Los Angeles and London events, but Waithe’s backing has extended to social media, too.
As the film hit theaters Nov. 22, Waithe — whose relationship with the Tony Award winner went public in June 2022 — shared videos and photos from other accounts to her Instagram Story praising both the movie’s production team and Erivo’s performance, including one review calling "Wicked" “film-making that is firing on all cylinders.”
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Waithe, 40, also shared a post from Erivo, 37, detailing her magical experience filming the adaptation of the Broadway show.
“This journey has been long, and paved with bright, yellow brick,” Erivo wrote on the Nov. 21 Instagram post alongside behind-the-scenes pictures. “We have laughed and cried, held hands and walked side by side, our lives intertwined, and because of that, we were irrevocably changed for good.”
Proving her support for Erivo extends beyond "Wicked," Waithe also shared a heartwarming video from a side stage view of her partner performing a Christmas song at an event while Waithe cheered her on.
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Though the pair has kept their relationship mostly out of the spotlight, Waithe — who wed longtime partner Alana Mayo in 2019, but separated a few months later — previously shared that meeting Erivo in 2018 was a very memorable moment.
“The first time I met her was at the Met Gala, which is where all the cool kids go to meet each other,” she told Variety in 2020. “I had seen her in 'The Color Purple' twice, I remember seeing her on TV when Oprah talked about doing it and her being on the screen, I remember [thinking], ‘Who is this tiny person with a British accent?’”
And since their meeting at one of fashion’s biggest nights, the "Master of None" alum added, “We’ve just been vibing ever since.”
The pair became close in the following years, with Erivo sharing her feelings for Waithe in a birthday post in May 2022.
“Today is when we celebrate a woman whose heart is bigger than the body that houses it,” Erivo wrote on Instagram alongside pictures of "The Chi" creator. “Happy birthday @lenawaithe I ……. You know the rest!”
The duo confirmed their relationship the following month, stepping out at the Alvin Ailey Spirit Gala in New York City together while holding hands.
