Ariana Grande speaks out after ‘degrading’ fan-edited Wicked poster is called 'most offensive thing ever seen'

After her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo branded a fan-edited poster for the new movie the 'most offensive thing she'd seen', actress and singer Ariana Grande has issued a statement.

The chart-topper and silver screen star spoke to Variety about the controversial incident, chiming in on the discussion as to whether fan-generated AI posters have gone 'too far'.

Last week, a fan-edited image of the star-studded blockbuster's incoming release set tongues wagging after one of the two leading ladies, Cynthia Erivo, shared it on her social media.

The Broadway hero - who plays Elphaba, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West - accompanied the image with a damning caption, slamming the fan who'd used computer graphics to generate the image.

"This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen," the 37-year-old British musical star wrote.

"Equal to that awful AI of us fighting, equal to people posing the question ‘is your ***** green.'"

Erivo went on to hit out: "None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.

"The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer...

The Elphaba actress slammed the fan-edited image (Instagram/@cynthiaerivo)

"Because, without words we communicate with our eyes."

Touching on the airbrushing of her eyes - as well as Glinda actress Ariana Grande's mouth and nose - she added: "Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful."

Later, Erivo went on to share a snap of the original poster, penning in a caption: "Let me put this right here, to remind you and cleanse your palette."

Now, ahead of Wicked's UK release on the 22 November - a year ahead of a 2025 follow-up instalment - US-born Ariana, 31, has spoken out.

Asked about her castmate's passionate stance on the matter of AI posters, the former Sam & Cat frontwoman described the situation as 'complicated'.

"I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes," Grande admitted. "But I think it’s just kind of such a massive adjustment period.

"This is something that is so much bigger than us, and the fans are gonna have fun and make their edits."

Ariana Grande has now spoken out in support of her co-star (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures)

Asked directly whether she thinks accessibility to artificially-intelligent content has gone 'too far', she went on to confess: "I think so.

"And I have so much respect for my sister, Cynthia, and I love her so much.

"It’s just a big adjustment period. It’s so much stimulation about something that’s so much bigger than us."