Yahoo Lifestyle Ariana Grande Reacts to Viral ‘Holding Space’ “Wicked ”Interview Meme: ‘I Didn’t Know What Any Part of It Meant’
"I just wanted to be there because I knew something big was happening," the singer and actress said
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Ariana Grande and Cynthia ErivoAriana Grande is addressing that "Popular" Wicked meme!
The singer and actress, 31, admitted in a new interview that she “didn’t know” the meaning behind the “holding space” comment made in the now-viral interview she took part in with Cynthia Erivo during their Wicked press tour.
“So I had no idea what any part of it meant,” Grande told Variety, referring to the interview with Out.com that created social media buzz after being posted on the outlet's Instagram on Nov. 19.
Grande, who was joined by Erivo, 37, and Wicked director Jon M. Chu, continued in the sit-down chat, “I didn't understand the first sentence."
"And then I definitely didn't understand what was happening and how you responded,” Grande added, referring to Erivo.
“I was like, ‘Oh what did she say, what did you hear?’ And I just wanted to be there because I knew something big was happening. And I didn't know how to be there," she said.
During their interview with Out.com, Grande and Erivo were told by a reporter that LGBTQ+ fans were "taking the lyrics of 'Defying Gravity' and really holding space with that and feeling power in that."
Erivo responded emotionally, saying, “I didn't know that was happening," before Grande gently held her costar's finger and long fingernail and tapped it in support.
Fans quickly reposted and recreated the moment on social media following the exchange.
Grande recalled of the interview to Variety, “She said something that meant something to her, then it meant something totally different to [Erivo], and then she tried to kind of get somewhere else. I remember in the moment asking myself, ‘Am I okay? Did I not hear something?' ... because she looks like she was about to cry again.”
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Grande and Erivo attend the 'Journey Through Oz' tour to celebrate the Australian premiere of 'Wicked' in Sydney on Nov. 3Related: Cynthia Erivo Defends Wicked Costar Ariana Grande Against 'Dangerous' Cyberbullying
The “7 Rings” singer then shared that she decided to grab Erivo’s finger at that moment “because I [thought] you might need something."
“And I don’t know what the tapping was about,” Grande continued, as Erivo jokingly added, “Tension, tension."
Grande then reflected on all the memes about the interview that were shared on social media, stating that they were "so beautiful.”
“I feel really relieved that the world had the same experience with this moment that I did, because I felt like, ‘Oh I'm not broken.’ The best thing to is to really hold space with that,” Grande joked.
Wicked: Part One is in theaters now, with Part Two set for release on Nov. 21, 2025.
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