Cynthia Erivo reacts to protecting Ariana Grande after red carpet ambush: ‘Wanted to make sure she was ok’

Cynthia Erivo shared for the first time what was going through her mind when she shielded “Wicked: For Good” co-star Ariana Grande from an overzealous fan who rushed at her during the film’s premiere in Singapore

Cynthia Erivo shared for the first time what was going through her mind when she shielded “Wicked: For Good” co-star Ariana Grande from an overzealous fan who rushed at her during the film’s premiere in Singapore.

Erivo spoke in an exclusive interview with Savannah Guthrie on TODAY on Nov. 20 about the potentially frightening moment when a man named Johnson Wen rushed at Grande at the event. Erivo pried Wen off Grande while costar Michelle Yeoh put her arms around Grande to pull her away from Wen.

“I wasn’t really thinking,” Erivo said. “I just wanted to make sure my friend was safe. I’m sure he didn’t mean us harm, but you never know with those things, and I wanted to make sure that she was OK. That was my first instinct.”

Erivo and Grande have become close during the filming of the two “Wicked” films and often have been inseparable during their press tours to promote the hit movies.

“This is a long-lasting friendship for us,” Erivo told Savannah. “We’re kind of like sisters at this moment. And I think we’ve both learned from each other and given each other some really, really beautiful gifts. We’ve really looked after each other through this.”