Ariana Grande hinted at the possibility of a more in-depth discussion surrounding Glinda's sexuality in the upcoming sequel to the "Wicked" film.
The 31-year-old actress revisited the topic of her character's sexual orientation, addressing previous accusations of "queerbaiting."
In an interview with Variety, Grande expressed her view that the relationship between Glinda and Cynthia Erivo's character Elphaba could be perceived as a deep bond of love, albeit in a platonic sense.
In response to questions regarding her recent statements concerning Glinda being "a bit queer," Grande elaborated, stating, "I think she's a person who loves so much, and I do think that it goes beyond gender, and I think that's a common theme in Oz."
"I also think that the ways in which she loves Elphaba so much, and that forgiveness and that unconditional love that they share — I think they're in love with each other. I know, yes, it's platonic," the "Thank U Next" singer added.
"But we'll talk about it more in depth in movie two."
Leading up to the premiere of the film, there was a swirl of speculation surrounding the unequal salaries between Erivo, a lesser-known actress, and the internationally known pop star.
Amid escalating speculation, Universal Pictures made a declaration in November affirming that both actresses were paid equally.
In the same interview, Grande said, "We went through our contracts together and called each other up. 'Did you see that? What do you think about that? Let's get it together!'"
Erivo added, "We both went through it – 'What number are we doing? How do you feel about that?' We were really f***ing honest. And that's really rare. People don't do that."
According to Grande, "We're very different, but when we're doing something like this together, her needs become my needs," then Erivo responded, "And her needs become mine."
