Universal has addressed rumours of an alleged pay disparity between Wicked actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Their statement comes just days after the internet was set ablaze with speculation that Erivo would be earning considerably less than Grande.
After the magical musical landed in UK cinemas on Friday (22 November), controversial pay-related conversations quickly started doing the rounds on social media.
Twitter talk alleged that 31-year-old Grande would be raking in an eyebrow-raising $15 million for her role as the bubbly blonde Glinda, while her counterpart Eviro, 37 - who played the sage green Elphaba - was said to have only earned a considerably less impressive $1 million for the part.
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And naturally, fans of the musical were far from pleased with the revelation.
"Ariana getting paid over $10M more than Cynthia doesn't sit right with me..." one admitted on social media earlier this week.
"It's not making sense," another replied, whilst a third described the rumoured pay-gap as 'diabolical'.
Now, a representatives for the global production firm has spoken out on the rumours, claiming there's no truth to any allegations of a pay difference between the two female lead stars.
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Speaking to Variety in a statement earlier this week (26 November), the spokesperson insisted: "Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder."
Though the Universal staff member opted not to go into specifics when it came to Eviro and Grande's wages, they claimed there was no disparity whatsoever.
"The women received equal pay for their work on Wicked," they continued.
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The blockbuster adaptation of the much-loved Broadway musical - which itself is centred on the lives of characters made famous in the original 1939 Wizard of Oz movie - is said to have racked up a staggering $112 million within the handful of days it has been in cinemas.
This secured the film's ranking as the highest-grossing opening weekend for an adaptation of a Broadway production, having stolen the title from Into the Woods, which opened in 2014 to the tune of a considerably lower $31 million.
The big-name production also includes Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, who is rumoured to be bringing home $2 for her role as Madame Morrible, matching the pay of Hollywood veteran Jeff Goldblum, who plays the wonderful wizard himself.
Bridgerton heartthrob Jonathan Bailey, who plays Elphaba's love interest Prince Fiyero in the production, is reportedly learning just under half a mill at $450,000, whilst Ethan Slater ('Boq' in the film) is said to be earning $350,000.
Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity, Money
Rhianna Benson