Did Ariana Grande really make millions more than Cynthia Erivo for ‘Wicked’?

Despite rumors to the contrary, “Wicked” stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande earned the same amount of money for starring in the hit film.

“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 Universal spokesperson tells TODAY.com. (TODAY.com and Universal Pictures share Comcast as a parent company.)

No specific information about how much they earned was shared.

Rumors that Grande, who stars as Glinda in the film, had earned more money than Erivo, who portrays Elphaba, recently surfaced, leading to outrage among fans. Posts circulating on social media claimed Grande received $15 million while Erivo received $1 million.

“Wicked” is based on the popular Broadway musical inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.”

Grande and Erivo, who have said they swiped a few props from the set, developed a close bond while making the movie.

“I think both of us also knew that we wanted more than just this working relationship; we wanted to build friendship, outside of it, which is what we have now,” Erivo told Willie Geist for Sunday TODAY’s “Sunday Sitdown” on Nov. 10.

Last year, Grande raved about Erivo while sharing an update on Instagram about shooting the movie.

“To hold my brilliant twin flame / sister Cynthia’s beautiful, green hands every day… to work in the safest, most beautiful and loving, biggest-yet-most-intimate/tiny-feeling spaces,” she wrote.

The “Wicked” hoopla is not bound to slow down, either. The second film is due to hit theaters Nov. 21, 2025.