- Kristin Chenoweth spoke to Business Insider about her friendship with Ariana Grande.
- Chenoweth defended Grande, who faced public scrutiny after reportedly dating a married costar.
Kristin Chenoweth opened up about her decades-long friendship with Ariana Grande and defended the singer months after she was criticized for reportedly dating her married costar Ethan Slater.
Grande stars as Glinda in the upcoming film adaptation of "Wicked," a role which Chenoweth played when the musical debuted on Broadway in 2003.
Rumors circulated in July 2023 that Grande and Slater were an item after the singer separated from her husband, Dalton Gomez, earlier that year. Their divorce was finalized in March 2024.
Slater — who plays Boq in the film — was estranged from his wife Lilly Jay when the rumors of the relationship began, though Grande appeared to receive the majority of the public backlash.
Chenoweth — who sat down with Business Insider to promote her partnership with AbbVie for chronic migraines — said she has given Grande advice when it comes to dealing with speculation over her romantic life.
"I have her back, and nobody ever knows what's going on for real," Chenoweth said.
"And we can sit in judgment and all these things, with all the stars that we see, and they take the gossip, one little inkling of the truth and then it blows up," she added.
"And, of course, I've given her my advice. She's called me and leaned on me that way, and I will be there 'til the day we die."
The public fascination — and shaming — of Grande's romantic life is nothing new.
Alongside her acting and singing career, Grande is a businesswoman, amassing a wealth of at least $72 million from 2019 to 2020, according to Forbes. Despite this, the public commentary is usually focused on dissecting her private relationships.
Grande addressed this in a February interview with "The Zach Sang Show" on Twitch's Amazon Music channel.
"We selectively remember that this is what the tabloids do to people, especially women, based on whether or not we like the person," she said, according to The Independent.
Meanwhile, Chenoweth also addressed rumors that she could make a cameo in "Wicked," saying she "can't confirm or deny" if she will make an appearance in the movie.
"It makes me feel very proud that 20 years ago, I put my stamp on a role that means so much to people, and now the little girl that I've known since she was 10 years old who said, 'I just want to be Glinda' is now playing me," she said.
"It's going to be 'Wicked' for a new era," Chenoweth said. "And a lot of people ask me how I feel about that. I feel proud. I feel like I've had the wand for a long time and now it's time to give it away."
Variety reported in April that "Wicked" had become the fourth-longest running Broadway show in history. In 2016, the show surpassed $1 billion worth of sales in New York and just under $4 billion worldwide, Deadline reported at the time.
The film adaptation, which is set to be released in November, cost around $145 million to make, according to the Daily Mail.
Representatives for Ariana Grande did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Slater's representatives could not be reached.