Universal has addressed claims that Ariana Grande was paid a colossal amount more than her co-star, Cynthia Erivo, for their roles in Wicked.
The long-awaited movie was finally released this month and sees Ariana, 31, star as Glinda the Good Witch, while Cynthia, 37, stars as the bad witch, Elphaba.
The pair's subsequent media interviews have also gone viral, with many commenting on Cynthia's reaction to an interviewer asking about fans "holding space" for the song 'Defying Gravity', as well as the star's complaints about a fan-made poster for the movie.
However, one of the most controversial rumors that has recently gone viral is the claim that Ariana may have been paid $14 million more than Cynthia was for her work in Wicked.
A spokesperson for Universal has now addressed the issue, saying in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: "Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder.
"The women received equal pay for their work on Wicked."
Multiple other sources also told the outlet that both stars took home the same pay for their work on the Jon M. Chu movie musical.
Rumors had earlier circulated claiming that Ariana had been paid $15million while Cynthia only took home a $1million paycheck.
The unsubstantiated claims were first made on TikTok and Reddit but gained traction after multiple news outlets shared the commentary.
The highly anticipated movie is based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire, telling the backstory of the witches of Oz, and also stars Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, and Jonathan Bailey.
Ariana and Cynthia have both gushed about how much they enjoyed working together on Wicked, and expressed a desire to return to the Broadway stage together.
The second installment of Wicked is due to be released on November 21, 2025, with Part One ending on the song 'Defying Gravity', similar to Act I of the Broadway stage show.
Chu told The Hollywood Reporter: "We found that that room was necessary. I think we found a beautiful balance in it."
The movie, which has gone head-to-head with Gladiator II at the box office, has continued to enjoy a stellar run, earning a record-breaking $15.8million on Monday for a musical, beating Frozen 2's 2019 record of $12.7million. It also made over $160million globally in its opening weekend.