Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande received the same salary for their co-starring roles Evilsaid a spokesman for Universal Pictures. The reaction follows unfounded rumors on social media Evil stars’ Earnings from the blockbuster musical.

“Reports of pay disparities between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder,” a Universal spokesperson said in a statement Rolling Stone Tuesday. “The women received equal pay for their work Evil.”

TikTok and Reddit users incorrectly reported that Grande earned $15 million while Erivo earned $1 million. To make matters worse, several news outlets repeated the inaccurate results. The Universal spokesperson did not disclose how much the co-stars were paid.

The film, which hit theaters on Friday, is inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Evil, which serves as a revisionist prequel The Wizard of Oz. The Jon M. Chu film adapts the first part of the hit musical and begins with Erivo’s green-skinned Elphaba as an outlaw Shiz University student who sleeps with Grande’s Glinda. After an unlikely makeover and a dance duet at a school party, the sworn enemies become best friends. Things worsen after Elphaba and Glinda visit the wizard, played by Jeff Goldblum, in the Emerald City.

Evil Its opening weekend grossed a whopping $164 million worldwide, making it the third-biggest opening weekend after that Deadpool and Wolverine And Inside Out 2. The release date for part two is set for November 21, 2025.