Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s extremely publicized awards season run for “Depraved: For Good” has taken a controversial flip following claims from nameless Oscar voters.
Regardless of viral moments, emotional interviews, and a headline-grabbing press tour, the pair walked away with out 2026 Oscar nominations.
Now, behind-the-scenes accounts recommend their snub had much less to do with expertise and extra to do with how their promotional appearances have been obtained, with some voters admitting they felt uneasy watching the duo collectively.
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Ariana Grande And Cynthia Erivo’s Oscar Snub Sparks Backlash
A lot has been made about Grande and Erivo failing to land 2026 Oscar nominations for his or her performances in “Depraved: For Good.”
Grande appeared in a supporting function as Glinda, whereas Erivo starred as Elphaba within the follow-up to 2024’s “Depraved.”
In response to one nameless Oscar voter who spoke with Information Nation, the choice wasn’t stunning behind closed doorways.
“The film wasn’t that nice. The 2 have wonderful on-screen chemistry however spent many of the film aside,” the voter informed the outlet’s Paula Froelich.
That evaluation reportedly formed early opinions amongst voters, however it was the actresses’ off-screen presence that left a stronger impression.
Regardless of months of consideration and viral clips, some voters allegedly felt the marketing campaign labored towards them relatively than of their favor.
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Grande’s Press Tour Moments Allegedly ‘Creeped’ Voters Out
The identical voter claimed the actresses’ promotional appearances have been a serious turnoff.
“I used to be additionally simply fully turned off by their promotional performances. They creeped lots of people in and out their rush to really feel genuine, got here off as cosplaying,” the supply mentioned.
In response to the outlet, their affectionate pink carpet habits and emotional interviews turned speaking factors inside awards circles.
One other voter echoed the identical sentiment, stating, “The film wasn’t that good and [Erivo and Grande] sucked the air out of any pink carpet they have been on — and nobody wished to undergo that once more.”
The voter added, “Consider it this manner: We have been defending Ariana from her anxiousness — and Cynthia from having to intervene. Once more.”
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Alongside these critiques, followers on-line additionally voiced concern over Ariana Grande and Erivo’s noticeable weight reduction through the press run.
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Ariana Grande And Cynthia Erivo’s Viral Moments Beneath Scrutiny
A number of viral interactions between Grande and Erivo have been later cited as examples of what critics labeled “cringeworthy.”
In Paris, the pair have been requested by an Elle Journal journalist to explain one another’s “auras.”
The “Sam and Cat” actress revealed that Erivo’s was “yellow,” like “sunshine,” earlier than including, “I believe there’s additionally purple.”
Erivo responded by describing Grande’s as “like a ciel blue, ? Like aqua. And like, sunset-orange.”
The alternate was broadly shared on-line, with blended reactions.
Following the second, one Reddit consumer wrote per the Each day Mail, “I can’t undergo this once more,” referencing the duo’s earlier press tour moments in 2024.
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Grande Moments That Divided Followers And Business Insiders
Probably the most talked-about interviews from 2024 featured Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo talking with journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist for Out Journal.
In the course of the sit-down, Gilchrist informed the 39-year-old that she had seen folks on-line discussing the lyrics of “Defying Gravity” and “feeling energy” from it.
Erivo replied, “I didn’t know that was occurring. That’s actually highly effective. That’s what I wished.”
As Erivo spoke, Grande turned emotional and reached over to clasp her co-star’s index finger in a visual present of help.
Whereas some praised the second, others mocked it on-line. One individual requested on X, “What was this?” whereas one other added, “Is that this a sketch comedy present or one thing?”
The scrutiny continued in November 2025 when a fan charged at Grande through the Singapore premiere of the movie, prompting Erivo to intervene protectively.
The person was later recognized as Johnson Wen, who goes by @PyjamaMann on Instagram.
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Ariana Grande Sparks Breakup Rumors After Attending The Golden Globes Alone
The backlash surrounding the film stars’ public appearances seems to be solely considered one of Grande’s quite a few points in latest occasions.
In response to reviews, all just isn’t nicely between the 32-year-old and her boyfriend, Ethan Slater, with rumors of a breakup making the rounds.
As The Blast reported, the breakup speculations intensified on January 11 when Grande stepped out for the 2026 Golden Globes with Slater nowhere in sight.
As an alternative, the singer was accompanied by her longtime buddy Doug Middlebrook. For a lot of, it signified hassle between the couple.
Nevertheless, sources later clarified that Slater’s absence was a technique relatively than hassle.
“Ariana put Ethan on the again burner whereas she was selling the film. However they’re in a strong place now,” an insider shared. “They’re like an outdated married couple at house. They’d relatively hang around collectively and do easy issues like play board video games or binge watch reveals relatively than exit to fancy locations.”
