Content warning: this article mentions topics of eating disorders, sexual harassment and assault, drug abuse, and death.
In 1939, The Wizard of Oz, one of the first-ever technicolor films, etched its way into history as one of the most culturally significant movies. According to the U.S. Library of Congress, its use of saturated color and exploration of fantasy worlds, accompanied by actress Judy Garland’s voice, made it the most-seen film in history. However, the newly developed Hollywood magic was not the only reason behind its success.
Over the years, The Wizard of Oz has garnered various urban legends around its creation. One of the most famous (and dark) of these tales suggests a muchkin’s dead body can be seen hanging from a tree in the film’s background, specifically as the main cast makes their way down the infamous Yellow Brick Road.
Despite the theory being disproven, many of the ‘conspiracies’ surrounding The Wizard of Oz are grounded in truth. Unfortunately, almost all of these incidents involve the actors being mistreated and put into dangerous situations.
Allegedly, the film’s production crew used asbestos as the set’s snow, posing a health risk to everyone on set. Additionally, Buddy Ebsen, the original actor of The Tin Man, suffered severe health side effects from the makeup used to transform him into his character. He’s not the only one, though. Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch of the West, suffered a second-degree burn during her debut scene. However, Dorothy arguably had it the worst, as 16-year-old Garland was forced under the influence of amphetamines and barbiturates throughout filming, sexually harassed and groped by her colleagues consistently, and coerced to follow a stringent diet, among other forms of abuse.
In addition to the real-life tragedies on set, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is famously recognized for mirroring the film, with the phenomenon containing a suspicious amount of synchronizations.
Given the abuse and uncanniness behind The Wizard of Oz‘s making, it’s unsurprising fans are discussing the eerie similarities between Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who co-star in Jon M. Chu’s newly released Wicked: Part I.
Wicked: Part I is a spin-off film and Broadway musical about the relationship between the Good Witch, Glinda (played by Grande), and the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (played by Erivo). It has gained significant media attention since the announcement of its A-list cast.
As the movie’s release date approaches and the actresses complete their press tours, the internet can’t help but notice how close Grande and Erivo have become. Aside from the pair’s four matching tattoos and emotional interviews, the most prominent observation is that they look the same.
Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be particularly alarming. However, fans are expressing concerns about the duo’s weight loss, with one X user tweeting, “tf is happening on that set,” accompanied by a “before wicked” vs. “after wicked” photo.
Grande addressed the public’s concerns about her body in a 2023 TikTok video, where she expressed her disapproval of the public’s comfort with commenting on something so personal.
“Personally, for me, the body that you’ve been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body,” Grande said. “I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthiest.”
Still, 18 months after Grande told fans that healthy can look different than what they’d expect, some have not been able to shake their suspicions of a possible eating disorder. TikTok user @celebriteablinds_ made a video on Nov. 7, reporting an unconfirmed rumor that Grande allegedly fainted on the set of Wicked from “not eating.”
Another creator, @jordantalexander, described the stars as looking “gauntly” and explained there’s a difference between judging someone’s body for the sake of it and pointing out someone may be in danger. She opens her rant by stating that we must recognize when these celebrities are “deteriorating” before our eyes. She uses Christina Aguilera’s and Sabrina Carpenter’s uncanny resemblance as an example after the two performed together, pointing out that Aguilera is more than ten years older.
The TikTok user also addressed the adverse effects of celebrities denying anything inherently wrong or unhealthy about their appearance. Instead, they urged their viewers to view things contextually as the culture shifts toward something reminiscent of the infamous early 2000s skinny, a period known for promoting an unrealistic and unhealthy standard of beauty.
“I am fighting tooth and nail, if I’m being honest, to avoid getting back into really bad habits,” @jordantalexander said. “A lot of times a certain standard of beauty is praised, and it’s this skinny, petite, frail white, [it] needs to be noted given everything else going on in the world.”
Gracie Kaye, a nursing student at UCF, said Grande was a prominent figure in her childhood, so it’s interesting to see how much her body has changed in just three years of filming. While speculating, she noted that Erivo seems to dress more conservatively than her co-star in recent interviews, suggesting Grande is less afraid to show the state of her body.
“She [Erivo] always really hides her shoulders, hides her arms, and most of the time, wears a lot of body suits and things that cover her body,” Kaye said. “Whereas Ariana Grande wears a lot of, like, strapless dresses and halters.”
Regardless of what’s happening with the pair, there’s no shortage of rumors circulating on social media. One claim was made by TikTok creator @luckyrok88, who posted a video stating that sources say, “Cynthia faced immense pressure from executives [to lose weight].” Additionally, Kaye said she heard the two stars are “competing with one another to look skinnier.”
Nonetheless, like Grande’s alleged fainting incidents, neither of these claims have been confirmed.
While some brainstorm theories about the actresses’ appearances, journalist Ellie Macieira-Fielding criticizes those who judge.
In The New Feminist’s “Please stop talking about Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s weight,” Macieira-Fielding describes the public’s “concern” as minimizing Grande and Erivo’s talent as actresses. She states that the “moral panic” is another excuse to analyze the duo’s bodies under a microscope. To top it off, they’re being mocked for their emotional attachment to the film after spending years creating it.
“In a completely predictable turn of events, two supremely talented women are being reduced to their appearances instead of celebrated for their talent,” Macieira-Fielding wrote. “It’s the kind of toxic rhetoric that feels ripped straight from the early 2000s, and it’s as exhausting now as it was then.”
However, there may be more to the public’s commentary toward the pair’s emotional press interviews that extend beyond simply discrediting their artistry.
The online discourse has questioned whether or not the co-stars have a relationship that surpasses that of a “normal” colleague friendship. Some think their identical mannerisms may be highly intense method acting, but TikTok user @twinblt suspects it’s a spiritual manifestation of the characters they play. She explains, “When you’re doing movies, and you’re acting, you are tapping into those different spirits. You take on [the] spirits of that character.”
Those who agree in @twinblt’s comment section compared Grande’s and Erivo’s physical and emotional displays to Heath Ledger’s struggle to “shake off” his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight after wrapping filming in November 2007.
According to People magazine, Ledger tragically passed away from a “fatal mix of prescription drugs” about seven months before the movie’s release. Sources close to Ledger told People the actor was “desperately unhappy” from missing his former girlfriend and their toddler during filming. Ledger had previously admitted to the Times that he only averaged two hours of sleep a night.
Similarly, Angelina Bleggi, an elementary special education major at UCF, said this take reminds her of Austin Butler’s role as Elvis in the 2022 film by Baz Luhrmann. The LA Times reported Butler’s intense dedication to the role, stating that, besides memorizing all of Elvis’ interviews, the actor was entirely immersed and committed to psychologically understanding who the singer was.
Despite the comparisons, Bleggi says she tries not to get in her head too much thinking about the conspiracies circulating online.
“I just think it’s people being people,” Bleggi said. “People being crazy fans.”
Unfortunately, the speculation will remain just that — speculation — as the stars have yet to indicate interest in addressing any rumors. Perhaps all of the discourse has been part of an elaborate marketing ploy. Regardless, we can only hope the duo’s bond is stronger than the rumors surrounding them, that they’re healthy, and that they have a reliable support system amongst the media frenzy.
Oh, and given the attention it’s gotten, Wicked: Part I better be a damn good movie.