Ariana Grande was paid 15 times more than Cynthia Erivo for her role in "Wicked"

Question

According to a leaked salary list of the actors from the new hit musical-movie adaptation "Wicked", Ariana Grande was paid $15 million for her supporting role, while Cynthia Erivo, the star, was only paid $1 million.

Comments

The claim that Ariana Grande was paid 15 times more than Cynthia Erivo for their roles in "Wicked" is unfounded. A Universal Pictures spokesperson stated, "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.'" (People, 2024).
This clarification addresses rumors that Grande earned $15 million while Erivo received $1 million. Such claims have been debunked by official sources, confirming that both actresses received equal compensation for their roles. (Screen Rant, 2024)

In summary, the assertion of a significant pay disparity between Grande and Erivo in "Wicked" is inaccurate, as both were paid equally for their performances.

https://people.com/ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo-equal-pay-for-wicked-roles-8752249?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://screenrant.com/wicked-movie-ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo-salary-pay-dispute-explained-universal-response/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Answer 1

These rumors were started on TikTok and Reddit, and quickly spread. The Hollywood Reporter talked to a Universal spokesperson who stated, "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.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wicked-ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo-paid-equal-1236071760/

Comments

factcheck is short and straight to the point, which I prefer. I agree with you that this is not much more than a rumor meant to grab people's attention, but when it comes to factchecking I would suggest using a more credible source to back your factcheck up (the Hollywood Reporter is probably not the most sound resource). I would like to see more analysis on the actual source of the claim and maybe even something on how/why the rumor started. Happy factchecking!

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This fact check is very well done and straight to the point. I appreciate how you acknowledged where the unequal pay rumor was coming from and how it had spread, and then found a credible source to disprove it.

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This fact check is very well done because it is quick and to the point. I appreciate the swiftness of the fact check because it did not need too much since Universal came out and denied it. I also like how you mentioned how social media was the original cause of the rumor, as it normally is.

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This factcheck is straight to the point, I like how you included that the rumors had spread on social media and biased news outlets had jumped on the train to continue to spread the false allegations. I would suggest a more credible source than Hollywood Reporter, I found the same article on CNN claiming these rumors were false. As they reached out to Universal to make a comment on these allegations. But great work!

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I think this fact-check was good. They got straight to the point of the information being false and named multiple sources from which this alleged rumor had come.

Answer 2

The pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana, is False. It's speculation from Reddit, then went to TikTok and X. The rumor started, from fanbases arguing that Cynthia was paid millions of dollars less then Ari because she is a person of color. It started a feud across media platforms, as the "arianators" claiming that she deserves to get paid more because she is the bigger star, and will give the film more publicity. A spokesperson for Universal said, “The women received equal pay for their work on '‘Wicked.’”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/27/entertainment/cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-wicked-pay/index.html

Comments

Great factcheck! I like how you included the article from a trusted source like CNN, I also thought this was a great source to debunk those claims. However I would suggest pulling back on the claims that were found on social media about why Cynthia was paid less because she was a person of color, if you don't know a source of where that is from. While social media is full of different opinions, it's best to make sure you have a post to back up those claims before you add those in your factcheck. Other than that, great work!

Answer 3

The pay disparity between the two actors was debunked as 'internet chatter' according to production company Universal Studios spokesperson. Universal Studios was responsible for the release of the movie Wicked and claimed that both women were paid equally. This information can be found via sources such as Variety and CNN, both reputable news sources. Additionally, this news source pulled direct quotes from the spokesperson from the production company. The website used, mirror.co.uk, is a gossip website that releases information with very little reputable evidence. Below I've attached the articles from Variety and CNN that provide factual evidence.

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo-wicked-equal-pay-1236223851/

https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a63023892/wicked-ariana-grande-paid-more-cynthia-erivo-rumor-explained/

Comments

This fact-check is very well written, you responded to the original claim providing credible sources while explaining the lack of credibility from the original source. I appreciate your incorporation of the studio's response to the claim as it is definitely considered to be one of the most credible sources (excluding the actresses of course). It's straightforward with accessible additional sources to back the refutation.

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I like your fact-check because it's straight to the point and touches on where credible sources can be found. I appreciate how you mentioned Universal's response and role in this situation and pointed out how the website mirror.co.uk doesn't seem like a reputable source as it's a gossip site.

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You've done a great job here providing a well-supported response. Referencing reputable sources like Variety and CNN and direct quotes from the Universal Studios spokesperson adds significant credibility to your argument. Your explanation of mirror.co.uk as a gossip site also effectively contextualizes the misinformation. Including links to the articles was a great touch, as it allows others to verify the information themselves and engages the discussion further.

Answer 4

A spokesperson for Universal said in a statement shared with several outlets. “The women received equal pay for their work on 'Wicked.'

- https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/27/entertainment/cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-wicked-pay/index.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CReports%20of%20pay%20disparity%20between,'%E2%80%9D

Comments

This is a good fact-check as it does provide a credible source refuting the original claim. However, I would suggest adding another source just for extra credibility with an expansion on the text going more into depth as to why the original claim has been proven false. Overall, your fact-check is great and CNN is a highly credible source proven to have trustworthy information.

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This is a well written fact-check thats does use a credible source to refute the claim made. I would recommend adding a bit more on how the source is credible maybe quoting the source as well. Just to give readers a preview on what the article states. But overall, its a good fact-check.

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I like how straight to the point your comment is, however, I think you should provide some context and add some original thought to expand on this topic. Otherwise, I think CNN is a credible source and you get straight to the answer.

Answer 5

In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, a Universal spokesperson said the rumors of pay disparity between Grande and Erivo are false. Additionally, the article linked to this post does not confirm any validity of the leaked salary list circulating on social media, nor does not source the list. It also names the $15 million to Grande and $1 million to Erivo as "rumored salaries."

The Hollywood Reporter is the primary source who obtained a statement from the Universal Spokesperson: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wicked-ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo-paid-equal-1236071760/

Comments

I think that this is a good written fact-check, providing a credible source which refuted the claim. Something I liked about this was that you not only provided the statement from the source but you also provided insight that recognizes how the source did not do certain things making your fact-check easier for readers to understand what is going on.

Answer 6

This article claims that the two stars in Wicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, had a massive pay discrepancy between them. After investigating and doing my further research I found that Universal Pictures themselves made an official statement addressing the rumors saying that “The women received equal pay for their work on 'WICKED.” They also stated that this was just another “internet fodder” incident. I found numerous trusted sources backing the Universal Pictures claim, many of which contacted Universal for the information, such as ABC and CNN. Both companies are competitors of Universal Pictures, making it even more likely that the pay between the two stars was equal.

Answer 7

This has been debunked by many reputable sources such as Billboard, People, CNN, and most importantly, Universal Pictures, which produced Wicked. A Universal spokesperson stated that Cynthia and Ariana received equal pay for their work. On top of this, the site linked to this rumor, mirror.co.uk, does not seem like a legitimate source of news based on clickbaity similar articles and the type of ads on the website. The rumor started on social media platforms like X, Reddit, and TikTok and was picked up by gossip news outlets. There is no reputable source that supports this claim.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/27/entertainment/cynthia-erivo-ariana-grande-wicked-pay/index.html

https://people.com/ariana-grande-cynthia-erivo-equal-pay-for-wicked-roles-8752249#:~:text=Ariana%20Grande%20and%20Cynthia%20Erivo%20received%20the%20same%20paydays%20for,and%20based%20on%20internet%20fodder.