Universal addresses rumor Ariana Grande was paid $15M for ‘Wicked’ — while Cynthia Erivo got a measly $1M

nypost.com:

It was reported online that Grande, 31, was paid $15 million to star as Glinda the Good Witch in the two-part movie musical, while Erivo, 37, only got $1 million to play Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.

However, Universal Pictures denied the alleged $14 million pay gap on Tuesday. “Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder,” a spokesperson for the film studio said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “The women received equal pay for their work on ‘Wicked,'” they added.Universal did not reveal how much the pair were paid for the film.The Post has reached out to reps for Grande and Erivo for comment.Multiple outlets reported that Grande made more than anyone in the “Wicked” cast — despite having less screen time than Erivo.Even more surprising were claims that supporting cast members earned bigger paychecks than Erivo for their smaller roles: Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum were rumored to have been paid $2 million each to play Madame Morrible and the Wizard of Oz, respectively.“Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey, meanwhile, was reported to have been paid $450,000 to play love interest Fiyero.“Wicked” is already a box office smash globally.

It has grossed over $162 million worldwide in its first five days of cinemas. In the US, it scored the biggest box office debut for a musical adaptation in history, with $114 million in its opening weekend.The Jon M.