Excitement about Wicked, which comes out on November 22, has reached a fever pitch. But with all of the chatter about the singing, dancing, and cool costumes, there’s been a lot of talk about Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo‘s bodies.
Cynthia and Ariana have been the picture of supportive co-stars, regularly talking each other up in interviews and holding hands on the red carpet. But some people are looking to tear them down by implying—or outright saying—that they have eating disorders.
“This is not healthy!” one person wrote on X, alongside a photo of the co-stars holding hands on the red carpet. Another chimed in with, “I legit gasped when these came out. You can’t tell me this is healthy.”
In the past, Ariana has been more than clear that she’s not interested in people talking about her body. Here’s what she said, plus why it’s never okay to comment on a person’s body, according to an eating disorder specialist.
Meet the expert: Maria Rago, PhD, national president at the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). Rebecca Boswell, PhD, supervising psychologist at the Princeton Center for Eating Disorders at Penn Medicine Princeton Health. Stephanie Auriemma, LMFT, clinical director at Rock Recovery.
Ariana doesn’t want fans talking about her health.
Ariana’s weight has been a conversation topic for ages, unfortunately. But last year, the Grammy winner made it clear that she’s not interested in commentary about her size.
In a 2023 TikTok, Ariana addressed the commentary about her weight head-on. “I just wanted to address your concerns about my body and talk a little bit about what it means to be a person with a body and to be seen and to be paid such close attention to,” she said.
“There are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful,” she continued. “I know personally, for me, the body you’ve been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body.”
What many people think is her “normal” size happened while she had unhealthy habits, Ariana said. “I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly, at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy,” she said. “But that, in fact, wasn’t my healthy.”
Ariana ended on this note: “Even if you are coming from a loving place and a caring place, that person probably is working on it or has a support system that they are working on it with. So be gentle with each other and with yourselves.”
Experts say you should avoid commenting on people’s bodies.
Ariana allowed the comments about her body to be a teaching moment for others, and experts say her messaging is important.
“We cannot tell who is healthy by looking at them—medical illness and psychiatric illness including eating disorders can occur across ages, genders, races/ethnicities, and body sizes,” says Rebecca Boswell, PhD, a supervising psychologist at the Princeton Center for Eating Disorders at Penn Medicine Princeton Health.
“Public commentary on bodies reinforces the idea that physical appearance is the most important aspect of how a person is perceived and evaluated,” she continued. “This focus can lead to people devaluing their many other traits and roles.”
Additionally, comments like that can “perpetuate and reinforce the negative thoughts they are already thinking about themselves,” says Stephanie Auriemma, LMFT, clinical director at Rock Recovery. “It could lead to or worsen other mental health conditions, including eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.”
On a social level, when you comment on a person’s body, “you’re basically objectifying someone,” says Maria Rago, PhD, national president at the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). “It’s saying that we should be defined by our bodies, not who we are.”
Rago adds that the talk about Cynthia and Ariana’s bodies is “ironic,” given that the messaging of Wicked is that things aren’t always as they appear.
Ultimately, there’s no need to comment on another person’s body—so it’s best to take a pass if the topic comes up.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
