Ariana Grande has shared her thoughts on the viral poster for the upcoming Wicked film, which sparked controversy after fans edited it to better align with the Broadway musical. The modified poster, which obscured the eyes of Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, received backlash, including a strong response from Cynthia herself, who labeled the edit as “the wildest most offensive thing I have seen.”

At the Academy Museum Gala, Ariana, who plays Glinda in the film, addressed the online discourse and expressed her support for her co-star. “It’s very complicated,” she said. “I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, but this is such a massive adjustment period. The fans are going to have fun and make their edits, and I have so much respect for my sister Cynthia. It’s just a big adjustment period; it’s like so much stimulation about something that’s so much bigger than us.”

Cynthia previously took to her Instagram Stories to voice her frustration, comparing the edits to inappropriate questions she’s received about her green skin in the film. “None of this is funny; none of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us,” she wrote. She also commented on a viral AI-generated video that featured her and Ariana fighting, stating, “This is the wildest most offensive thing I have seen.”

Cynthia emphasized the importance of representation and the distinction between the film and the musical’s artwork. “The original poster is an illustration. I am a real-life human being who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera. To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me, and that is just deeply hurtful.”

In her follow-up post, Cynthia shared the official movie poster, encouraging fans to appreciate the original artwork. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the first installment of the two-part Wicked film series, which also stars Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Bowen Yang, and Ethan Slater, is set to hit theaters on November 22nd.