The internet’s favorite meme factory, aka life, gave us the “holding space” moment, starring Wicked besties Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. And after months of memes, laughs, and “what does this even mean?” debates, the duo has finally spilled the tea about that viral press junket moment. Spoiler: It’s as delightfully awkward as it seemed.
Here’s the rundown. Picture this: Ariana and Cynthia are being interviewed by Out Magazine journalist Tracy Gilchrist, who drops this very profound nugget of wisdom about Defying Gravity: “People are taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that and feeling power in that.”
The reaction? Cynthia Erivo teared up like she just watched the saddest Pixar movie, and Ariana—bless her—grabbed one of Cynthia’s fingers. Yes, just one. The internet screamed, “What in the mystical Broadway moment is happening here?!” So, naturally, we needed answers.
Straight From the Source
Ariana, Cynthia, and Wicked director Jon M. Chu finally addressed the meme-worthy moment in an interview with Variety. And guess what? They were just as bewildered as the rest of us.
Cynthia: “I was surprised because, honestly, I had no idea what was happening. I don’t think I’d been paying attention to much… Clearly!”
Ariana: “Girl, SAME. I didn’t understand the first sentence. Not one word. And then you got emotional, and I thought, ‘Wait, did she just say something really deep and I missed it? What’s happening?’”
Jon M. Chu was probably in the background thinking, “Great, two leads in the dark, perfect for a musical about witches.”
Finger-Grabbing 101
Let’s get to the real burning question: Why did Ariana grab Cynthia’s finger? Not a hand, not an arm—just one finger.
“I thought she was going to cry again,” Ariana admitted. “So I was like, ‘Quick, grab something! Finger? Sure, finger works!’ I don’t even know why I started tapping it. It just felt like… finger CPR or something?”
Cynthia, being the icon she is, chimed in: “After a while, I was like, ‘Okay, but… why are you still holding it? Is there a Morse code message I’m supposed to decode?’”
Are They Okay?
Ariana confessed the whole thing left her questioning her own sanity. “In the moment, I legit thought, ‘Am I okay? Did I just blackout during the question? What’s wrong with me?’”
Honestly, same, Ari. Same.
The duo’s combined confusion has now solidified this moment as one of the most unintentionally hilarious press junket clips in recent memory. Forget Defying Gravity—these two are defying all logical communication norms, and we are here for it.
So, the next time you’re feeling emotional, just grab your bestie’s finger. Who needs a hug when you can hold space… or, you know, just a single digit?
Watch the full, gloriously awkward interview below!