Cynthia Erivo Shuts Down Oscars Performance Rumors

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Cynthia Erivo is setting the record straight—she has no plans to sing at the Oscars. While the Wicked actress is already attending the ceremony as a Best Actress nominee, recent reports suggested she and co-star Ariana Grande were being considered to open the show with a Wicked medley.

When asked about the rumours at the Critics’ Choice Awards, Erivo seemed genuinely baffled. “Why does everyone keep saying that? I don’t know where this has come from,” she told Variety. “This feels like wishful thinking to me, personally. Why on Earth would we be singing?”

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She also firmly denied any conversations with the Academy about a performance, looking straight into the camera as she declared, “No! I don’t know why we would be doing that, since our song is not nominated.”

While her reasoning is sound—the Academy traditionally only features nominated songs—this year’s show is already breaking that tradition. None of the Best Original Song nominees will be performed, as the Academy is opting for "personal reflections" from the songwriters instead.

For now, it seems Erivo’s only role at the Oscars will be as a nominee. But with Wicked still months away from release, there will be plenty more opportunities for her and Grande to take centre stage.