Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande’s alleged pay gap in ‘Wicked’ ignites online debate

• The salary breakdown of the Wicked cast sparked a debate online.
• The pay disparity between its two leading stars made people confused.
• Allegedly, Cynthia Erivo earned only $1 million for her role.

The rumored earnings breakdown of the Wicked cast has sparked a major debate on social media, with many questioning the pay disparity between its two leading stars.

Allegedly, Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, earned $1 million for her role. In contrast, Ariana Grande, portraying Glinda the Good Witch, reportedly took home a whopping $15 million—over ten times more than her co-star.

This pay gap highlights Ariana’s significant star power, especially since Wicked has already shattered records for opening weekend numbers among Broadway-to-screen adaptations.

Other major cast members, such as Michelle Yeoh (Madame Morrible) and Jeff Goldblum (The Wizard), are rumored to have earned $2 million each, while Jonathan Bailey (Prince Fiyero) made $450,000, and Ethan Slater (Boq) received $350,000.

The rumored salaries have stirred a wave of reactions, with some fans calling the pay gap “diabolical” and “unfair.” One viral tweet on X, with over 11 million views and 120,000 likes, read: “Ariana getting paid over $10M more than Cynthia doesn’t sit right with me.”

Another user remarked, “Actor salaries aren’t based on talent but on who will bring audiences to the movie.” The controversy has only fueled greater excitement ahead of the film’s release.

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