Cynthia Erivo Addresses Viral ‘Holding Space’ Interview with Ariana Grande While Posing for GQ

Cynthia Erivo has broken her silence on that viral ‘holding space’ interview with Ariana Grande.

The moment saw the pair discussing Wicked: Part One’s closing number, Defying Gravity, with journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist for Out Magazine – who claimed fans were ‘taking the lyrics’ and ‘really holding space with that’. 

In the original clip, Cynthia put a hand over her chest while looking shocked and replied: ‘I didn’t know that was happening. That’s really powerful. That’s what I wanted.’

Now, Cynthia has addressed the moment as she posed for a stunning GQ shoot, and revealed it was purely ‘an innocent moment of confusion and human reaction’.

She said: ‘I received one thing, Ari received another, and Tracy [the journalist] said something but probably meant to say something else, and then took back the thing that she was saying – it was all so confusing, so that all of us were, in the end, confused but… moved. It was very strange.’

Cynthia also revealed that people now come up to her in public and ask to hold her finger – which she does not enjoy.

‘I hate it,’ Cynthia said. ‘I don’t want anyone holding my finger.’

Cynthia went on to talking about playing Elphaba in Wicked, as she said: ‘It was exposing, in a lot of ways.

‘I think it’s interesting when actors are like “She’s not me at all” and “I’m just playing a role” when it’s impossible for that to be true. 

‘Because they have to come out of your body, which means those feelings – whether you’ve accepted that you’ve felt them or not – have to come from you.’

Cynthia is set to be honoured at the GQ Men of the Year event on November 18 in London. 

Ahead of the ceremony, Cynthia posed for a cover shoot for the Men of the Year issue. She looked sensational in a black leather shoulder-padded bodysuit with a cinching corset and striking lace-up leather gloves. 

Cynthia paired the look with huge platform boot heels, sheer socks and circular glasses and posed on a leather sofa.   

In another snap, Cynthia wore a striking black plunging neckline blouse featuring huge shoulder pads – as well as a spiky headpiece 

Elsewhere in the chat, Cynthia shared her frustrations at the rising animosity towards LGBTQ+ people in the current political climate.

‘Who I love, and who you love – nothing to do with each other,’ she said. ‘Do you love? Good. Are you in love? Great. Like, what is the problem? It is about love. 

‘If people really, actually allow themselves to love, actually love, this wouldn’t be happening. We would not be involved in people’s business. We would want every-one to have it, wherever they could get it. Because you’d actually know what it feels like. 

‘And so when you know what it feels like, you’d want it for anyone else. Get it however you can get it, please. However you can find love, find it. I’ll be happy for you.’ 

Cynthia also discussed how art is always political, saying: ‘I’m interested in human stories. 

‘I think everything is political. We really, truly believe it’s black and white, and it’s just not. I think inevitably, because I’m in this body with this skin, in this time, everything I do will be political. 

‘I’ve been told so many times that I pick controversial roles, and I’m like, “Why? Why are the roles I pick controversial?” It’s not like I set out to go, “Oh, what’s controversial in that?” 

‘I just pick a thing that I feel like I want. If I was a different person, in a different body, in a different skin, it wouldn’t be controversial.’ 

Earlier this year, Ariana also shared her thoughts on the ‘holding space’ moment. 

Speaking about what went down during the press junket – Ariana revealed she had ‘no idea what the f*** was going on’. 

Speaking on The Graham Norton Show in January, the singer said: ‘It was just a really strange thing. I was grateful to see the reaction of the world when this clip came out, because I was like “Oh great! I’m not broken”.

‘They felt weird too. They felt so confused too, and that’s great.’ 

Keen to hear more about the moment, that quickly became a viral meme, Graham asked: ‘Of course it’s not just a hit film, it’s become a sort of cultural obsession. It seems like people are pouring over everything about, the movie, the press tour.

‘Oh no where are you going?’ Ariana asked, as Graham continued: ‘You know what I’m gonna ask you ask about. I’ve heard you talk about this. So “holding space”… so describe what happened. You and Cynthia, you’re in a press junket and what was the actual question? Or was it a question?’

Ariana replied: ‘Oh no. Yeah. It’s hard to say. I don’t really know what it was, so… oh my god I’ve never been asked to described what happened. 

‘So this wonderful woman Tracy was interviewing us, and she’s amazing, and we love her so much, she’s a queen and she’s so kind and she’s an icon. But she said to Cynthia “I have seen online” – and forgive me if I don’t quote it perfectly, but she said – “I saw online a lot of people are taking the lyrics of Defying Gravity and really holding space with that”. So you know for me I’m sitting next to Cynthia and I’m like “Holding space with that… okay yeah”. and Cynthia goes “Um… I didn’t know that was happening” and I’m like “Wait, what’s happening?”

‘So I kind of missed what’s happening at that point and Tracy then responds and kind of, doesn’t know what Cynthia took it as, it seems. Like it seems like Tracy was like “Oh no I mean I saw it, a few times. I’ve seen it a few times. I mean I’m in queer media”. 

‘And I’m like what the f*** is any of this interaction? What does it mean? I didn’t know what it meant, and I’m just trying to comfort Cynthia, because she’s very emotional and we’re very like physical touch that way.’

Ariana went on to explain the part of the clip, where she holds onto Cynthia’s finger and starts stroking it. 

‘So I grab her finger because I see that she’s getting choked up by what Tracy has shared, and I’m like “Oh, shit”,’ she said.

‘I grab her finger because I don’t know what else to do with myself… It was just energy I didn’t know what to do with, and it came out that way. And it was well intentioned, and I wanted to be loving and there for her, but why this? I don’t f***ing know.’