Ariana Grande is commenting on the latest series of fan-edited “Depraved” posters and AI-generated memes from her “Depraved” co-star Cynthia Erivo.
A poster published by Universal was adjusted by a fan to mimic the original Broadway poster, shrinking Elphaba’s witch hat to cover Erivo’s eyes. A meme that went viral earlier this week showed Glinda whispering in Elphaba’s ear with the caption reading: “Is your pussy green?”
“I think it’s very challenging because I find AI so conflicting and problematic sometimes, but I think it’s just such an adjustment period,” Grande told me fully at Saturday’s Academy Museum gala in Los Angeles. “This is something much bigger than us and the fans are going to have fun and make their edits.”
When I insisted that sometimes things can go “too far,” Grande said, “I believe so. And I have a lot of respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I really like her. It’s just a huge adjustment range. It’s a lot of encouragement about something that’s much bigger than us.”
Cynthia criticized the fan-edited poster and meme on Wednesday in an Instagram Story. “This is the most savage, offensive thing I’ve ever seen, just like that terrible AI we’re fighting, just like people asking the question ‘you f– green?’ Erivo wrote while sharing one of the “Depraved” posters photoshopped with the wrinkled face. “None of this is funny. None of this is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.”
Universal and director Jon M. Chu have turned the Broadway musical “Depraved” into a two-part film, the first of which hits theaters in November. The musical is produced at Shiz College in Oz, as Elphaba and Glinda become unlikely roommates and companions. Along with Erivo and Grande, the film’s supporting cast includes Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum and Bowen Yang.
I also asked Grande if she and Erivo could record exclusive music in the future. “I really enjoy being in the studio with her, even if it’s like a fly on the wall, listening to what she’s doing and having her there when I’m working,” she said. “I believe we will be stuck with each other, professionally and personally, for the rest of our lives. So I would say completely.”
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