Ariana Grande Addresses 'Wicked' Poster Controversy: Find AI So Conflicting

Ariana Grande is weighing in on the controversy surrounding a fan-edited "Wicked" poster that has been doing the rounds on social media.

Grande's costar, actor Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba in the upcoming "Wicked" adaptation, recently spoke up about the recreations, which she said were "deeply hurtful."

The movie's official poster pays tribute to the famous illustrated design from the original Broadway musical. It differs by depicting Elphaba with her hat raised, revealing her eyes, and featuring green lips instead of red. The fan-edited version that began circulating earlier this month appears to make the official poster look more like the original illustration, with Elphaba's face partially concealed.

Speaking at the Academy Museum Gala Saturday in Los Angeles Saturday, Grande said she had mixed emotions over the ordeal.

"I think it's very complicated because I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, but I think it's just kind of such a massive adjustment period," she said, according to Variety. "This is something that is so much bigger than us, and the fans are gonna have fun and make their edits."

Asked whether things can go "too far," Grande said, "I think so. And I have so much respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I love her so much. It's just a big adjustment period. It's so much stimulation about something that's so much bigger than us."

Last week, Erivo took to her Instagram stories to slam the fan-created poster as the "wildest, most offensive thing I have seen."

"Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me," she said. "And that is just deeply hurtful."

Erivo also addressed various "Wicked" memes that have been circulating online, including one with an inappropriate joke about Elphaba's appearance and another featuring an artificial intelligence-generated video showing the two actresses in a fictional fight.

"None of this is funny. None of this is cute," Erivo wrote. "It degrades me. It degrades us."

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