Fans of Wicked are noticing the alarming body weight of Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh. Their current stature is surprising for fans who’ve followed the women for a long time, especially because they appeared to be a healthy weight before the film came out. It leads to the question, does this drop in weight directly correlate to the Wicked set, or is this just an insane coincidence?
A year prior to the movie coming out, a noticeable difference can be seen in all cast members in regards to weight, with the most eye-catching change being Grande. Ariana Grande is a global pop-star who is loved around the world and, similar to every celebrity, her entire appearance is picked apart by fans and haters alike. So the topic of her current appearance was bound to reach the comment sections of every post about her or the cast.
There are thousands of posts across social media dedicated to the topic of their transformation during and after Wicked. Some people are making jokes, while others are showing genuine concern for their health. People on social media are theorizing a competitive eating disorder due to the emaciated appearance of the women. They all lost weight at around the same time, parts of the theory do hold water.
Competitive eating disorders are sparked when someone drops weight faster than someone else, and this can lead to jealousy and competition. Everyone might compete to see who can drop weight the fastest or maintain a smaller figure. The issue of their appearance is being brought up so much, cast members have no voice but to address the rumors, and that is exactly what Grande did.
Ariana Grande has always had a small figure and spoke up about body positivity and her mental health when addressing these rumors. Grande hasn’t spoken directly about the rumors of an eating disorder, but she has addressed the complications of remaining body positive during these times. In social media posts, Ariana Grande re-shared an old interview clip with Oui Oui Baguettes featuring Sally, their interviewer. She discussed in this interview how people shouldn’t be comfortable enough to comment on topics like their weight or appearance. They also shouldn’t try to spread rumors about what could really be going on behind the scenes as if there is some secret agenda.
Other than Grande, the other cast members have not spoken up about their weight, and likely won’t share based on Ariana Grande’s response to rumors. So, whether this is a competitive eating disorder or if it is somehow connected to the Wicked set, we will likely never know. The cast members don’t seem like they will address the rumors and it shouldn’t be any of our business, especially if they are struggling mentally or don’t feel like confronting the rumors.
