Ariana Grande has clarified her comments about Wicked The sexuality of the character Glinda after receiving criticism for “queerbaiting” in interviews.
After previously saying that Glinda “might be a little bit in the closet,” Ariana explained to Variety: ‘I think he’s a person who loves very much, and I think that goes beyond gender, and I think that’s a common theme in Oz.’
She argued that Elphaba and Glinda are in love, but it is platonic.
“I also think that the way that she loves Elphaba so much, and that forgiveness and that unconditional love that they share, I think that they are in love with each other. I know, yes, it’s platonic…”
“But we’ll talk about it in more depth in the second film,” he said.
In her previous interview alongside Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, the Bloodline hitmaker told Gay Times: “Glinda might be a little bit in the closet. You never know! Give it a little more time.”
He went on to say that “everyone [in Oz] “It’s so beautifully queer and that goes back to L. Frank Baum’s books, where literally the most commonly used word in the books is ‘queer.'”
He added that “every day in the Emerald City [the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz] “It’s a Pride parade…even like the chickens, those chickens are gay.”
