SZA Calls Out Misogynoir After Cynthia Erivo Mocked for Protecting Ariana Grande

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SZA is speaking out against the harsh criticism directed at Cynthia Erivo. She says Erivo is experiencing a form of prejudice – specifically, negativity rooted in both misogyny and racial bias – while promoting the movie Wicked: For Good, and feels the online backlash has become excessive.

Erivo spoke out after seeing an Instagram video posted on November 28th. The video, from the account thefilmdiva, highlighted the critical and negative comments Erivo has been getting while promoting her new movie. Online, many memes have been making fun of the actor, sometimes by changing her appearance or making fun of how she acts in public.

A video circulating online shows Cynthia Erivo intervening to shield Ariana Grande from an approaching fan at a Singapore event. However, instead of acknowledging Erivo’s protective action, many online commenters made jokes about the situation, which the person who shared the video believes revealed racist undertones.

SZA wholeheartedly agreed, stating, “This is a clear example of Misogynoir! There’s no other explanation! I can’t believe this is still happening in 2025.” She also predicted people would eventually realize their mistake, saying, “Everyone will feel conflicted about this in a couple of years… it could all just stop now, though.”

I remember when there was a bit of a fuss earlier this year about Cynthia Erivo being included in British GQ’s ‘Men of the Year’ issue. It was silly, honestly. SZA really jumped to her defense, and rightfully so! She pointed out that ‘Men of the Year’ is just what they called the list – it wasn’t meant to exclude anyone. As SZA put it, it’s just a category, not a statement about someone’s identity, and the whole thing was a non-issue. I totally agreed with her take on it.

SZA is asking people to stop attacking Cynthia Erivo, particularly when the criticism seems based on bias instead of actual issues with her work.

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2025-11-30 00:44