The fan who created the Wicked poster that was heavily criticized by Cynthia Erivo has spoken out after the star’s recent furious comments.
Erivo spoke out against a fan-edit. Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty
The release of the official poster for Erivo’s upcoming movie musical Wicked stirred up some controversy after a fan decided to edit it to closer depict the original version of the art used for the stage musical.
For those of you who might not have seen it, the recent release shows Erivo in character as Elphaba looking directly at the camera while Glinda (played by Ariana Grande) is seen whispering in her ear.
The image is very similar to the illustration used to promote the original Broadway musical, although fans were quick to point out certain key differences like Elphaba’s eyes are covered by the brim of her hat, her lips are a bright shade of red, and she is smirking.
However, after a fan decided to edit the image using AI tools, the 37-year-old took to her Instagram Stories to slam it as the “most offensive thing I’ve ever seen.”
“This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful AI of us fighting, equal to people posing the question ‘is your ***** green,'” she said in a statement alongside a repost of the image.
She continued: “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… because, without words, we communicate with our eyes.
Cynthia Erivo’s Instagram posts calling fan edits to the ‘Wicked’ poster ‘offensive’. Credit: Instagram Story
“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,” the star added.
Erivo then followed the statement up with the new release of the poster, with the caption: “Let me put this right here, to remind you and cleanse your palette.”
Now, just days later, the person responsible for the edit has spoken out.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the social media user said: “Ok so I’ve decided to repost this – the last few days have been wild & have helped me realise that the initial reaction was largely overblown.
“This is, and always was, an innocent fan edit to pay homage to the original Broadway poster, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” they continued. “I’ve also seen some people take credit for this and don’t think that’s totally fair so I’m coming out of the woodworks lol.
“While I deleted initially as I felt it was the right thing to do, fan posters have been around for as long as movies have existed.”
They went on to state that they “never meant to cause any harm and the poster is just a homage to the original Broadway poster, just like the movie’s recreation is.”
The statement also clarified that no AI tools were used in the poster’s creation.
“Also, I will say that Cynthia is valid in having her feelings on the matter, and I’m also valid in wanting to keep my version of the poster up as I truly meant no harm with it and just made it as a way to show love for the original. Both can be true,” the X user added.
Grande has also addressed the controversy. Credit: Jerod Harris/Getty/CinemaCon
The news comes shortly after Erivo’s co-star Ariana Grande also spoke out about the balance of AI tools and its impact on the creative industry.
When asked about the controversy by Variety, Grande responded: “I think it’s very complicated because I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, 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,” she added.
Erivo and Grande star alongside each other in ‘Wicked.’ Credit: Kevin Mazur/MG24/Getty/The Met Museum/Vogue
When asked if she thinks fans can go “too far”, Grande added: “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,” the singer concluded.
Wicked is set to be released next month.
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Bruce Springsteen speaks out following Liam Payne’s tragic death: ‘Not an unusual thing in my business’

By Nasima Khatun
Bruce Springsteen has spoken out following the tragic death of One Direction member Liam Payne.
Springsteen has opened up about the pressures of the music industry. Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty
The 31-year-old singer tragically died on October 16 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the Hotel CasaSur in Argentina.
The star had already been in the South American country for a few days enjoying some quality time with his loved ones, including his former band member Niall Horan, before the incident took place.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene, with Buenos Aires’s SAME emergency medical service, Alberto Crescenti, telling a local television station that Payne had suffered “very serious injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall” and there was “no possibility of resuscitation.”
One of Payne’s final social media posts. Credit: Snapchat/Liam Payne
In the wake of the tragedy, tributes have been pouring in for the star as the entire world mourns the loss of an incredible talent taken too soon.
Legendary rocker Springsteen recently spoke out about Payne, emphasizing the stress put on young people in the music industry, stating that artists dying young is “not an unusual thing in my business.”
Payne found fame in One Direction. Credit: Fred Duval / Getty
“It’s a normal thing,” he continued in a new interview with The Telegraph. “It’s a business that puts enormous pressures on young people. Young people don’t have the inner facility or the inner self yet to be able to protect themselves from a lot of the things that come with success and fame.
“So they get lost in a lot of the difficult and often pain-inducing [things]… whether it’s drugs or alcohol to take some of that pressure off,” he added.
The rock star went on to describe the addiction in the industry as a “death cult” before adding: “It’s a grift, man. That’s a part of the story that suckers some young people in, you know, but it’s that old story.
“Dying young – good for the record company, but what’s in it for you?” he concluded.
Springsteen spoke about Liam Payne’s death. Credit: Sergione Infuso/Corbis/Getty
Springsteen has previously been open about his own dark days in his 2016 autobiography Born to Run in which he described his battle with the “big black sea” of depression.
“It’s darker, getting darker,” he wrote in one passage of the poetic autobiography. “There’s been an event and my depression is spewing like an oil spill all over my carefully planned and controlled existence. Its black sludge is threatening to smother every last living part of me.
He went on to state that his manager, Jon Landau, advised him to get professional help.
“‘You need professional help,'” he recalled him saying. “At my request he makes a call I get a number and two days later I drive fifteen minutes west to an office in a suburb of Los Angeles. I walk in: look into the eyes of a kindly, white-haired moustached complete stranger, sit down, and burst into tears.”
Payne was only 31 at the time of his death. Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty
The news comes shortly after it was announced that an investigation would be being launched into the events surrounding Payne’s death – although, authorities have ruled out third-party involvement at this time.
Our thoughts are with the star’s family during this difficult time.
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Famed songwriter says under 18s should be kept out of the music industry following Liam Payne’s death

By Asiya Ali
In the wake of Liam Payne’s tragic death, a famed songwriter has called on the music industry to keep under 18s out of the professional music industry.
The 31-year-old former One Direction star tragically passed away on October 16 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Singer Liam Payne has died aged 31. Credit: Joseph Okpako/WireImage/Getty Images
Authorities have confirmed that the ‘Teardrops’ musician fell from a third-floor balcony at the Hotel CasaSur, where he was staying.
In a statement to AP, a prosecutor confirmed that autopsy results showed internal bleeding and 25 traumatic injuries to Payne’s skull, limbs, and abdomen, that were consistent with a fall.
Tragically, the injuries were so severe that Payne could not be resuscitated and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Numerous tributes have now flooded in for Payne, from fans in Argentina to his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, his bereaved family, and Cheryl Tweedy, the mother of his seven-year-old son Bear.
Each of Payne’s former bandmates – Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson – have also honored the late singer’s memory.
Payne was a member of One Direction. Credit: Ian Gavan / Getty
The late singer was just a teenager when he shot to global stardom as a member of One Direction.
The group sold more than 70 million albums, completed five world tours, and produced a feature film, cementing their legacy as one of the world’s biggest boy bands before their indefinite hiatus in 2016.
For the past few years, Payne has candidly spoken out about the challenges of adapting to stardom. He once opened up about experiencing burnout and claustrophobia during 1D to The Telegraph, stating: “It sent me a bit AWOL at one point if I’m honest.”
“I can remember when there were 10,000 people outside our hotel. We couldn’t go anywhere. It was just gig to hotel, gig to hotel. And you couldn’t sleep, because they’d still be outside,” he added.
Geoff Payne, father of Liam Payne, visited the memorial for his son outside Casa Sur Hotel. Credit: Marcos Brindicci / Getty
Guy Chambers, the former songwriter for Robbie Williams, has now reflected on the ‘You & I’ vocalist’s passing and urged the music industry to stop working with talent under the age of 18.
“I do think putting a 16-year-old in an adult world like that is potentially really damaging. Robbie experienced that, certainly,” Chambers told The Guardian. “I have four children, so I think about this a lot. I know in Robbie’s case, with Take That, there wasn’t any proper protection set up to look after what were teenage boys.”
“That was a long time ago, but I don’t see much sign of change. There is not much more real care taken, that I have observed, from people involved in the big television talent shows,” he continued. “I would suggest that people should not be in a boyband until they are 18, and the industry should stick to that, too.”
“I still had my demons at 31. I relapsed. I was in pain. I was in pain because I relapsed. I relapsed because of a multitude of painful reasons. I remember Heath Ledger passing and thinking ‘I’m next’. By the grace of god and/or dumb luck I’m still here,” he added.
Bruce Springsteen has also spoken out about Payne’s death. Credit: Astrida Valigorsky / Getty
Bruce Springsteen has also opened up about Payne’s shock death and said that artists dying young is “not an unusual thing” in the entertainment industry.
“It’s a normal thing. It’s a business that puts enormous pressures on young people,” he told The Telegraph, adding that young stars don’t have “the inner facility or the inner self yet to be able to protect themselves from a lot of the things that come with success and fame”.
“So they get lost in a lot of the difficult and often pain inducing [things]… whether it’s drugs or alcohol to take some of that pressure off,” the Born to Run singer-songwriter said.
Springsteen revealed that he personally struggled with depression, and added: “I understand that very well. I mean, I’ve had my own wrestling with different things.”
More than 25,000 people have now signed a new Change.org petition calling for legislation to “safeguard artists’ regarding their mental health in the entertainment industry” – a change they are calling “Liam’s Law”.
Our thoughts continue to be with those impacted by this sudden tragedy.
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Ariana Grande responds to fan-edited ‘Wicked’ poster that co-star Cynthia Erivo called the ‘most offensive thing’ she’s seen

By Asiya Ali
Ariana Grande has offered her thoughts on the fan-edited Wicked poster that co-star Cynthia Erivo criticized.
The highly anticipated movie musical, Wicked: Part One, is set to be released next month and it stars Grande, 31, and Erivo, 37, as Glinda and Elphaba respectively. Watch the Wicked trailer below:
Last week, the official poster for the musical, which was directed by Jon M. Chu, was released on social media and it showed Elphaba (Erivo) looking directly at the camera, while Glinda (Grande), is whispering in her ear.
The new poster evoked the original Broadway illustration, however, there were a few tweaks as Elphaba’s eyes were not covered by the brim of her hat and her lips were not a bright shade of red and arranged in a cunning smirk.
Many fans of the stage musical were not content with the movie’s version and instead decided to flood their social media with photoshopped corrections that more closely resembled the original illustration.
However, the edits didn’t go down well with Erivo, who took to her Instagram page to issue a scathing attack on fans.
Check out Erivo’s reaction below:Cynthia Erivo’s Instagram posts calling fan edits to the ‘Wicked’ poster ‘offensive’. Credit: Instagram Story
The Tony Award winner shared an edited picture from the Instagram account @wickedmexicofans, and slammed: “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful Ai of us fighting, equal to people posing the question ‘is your ***** green.’
“None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us,” she blasted. “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… because, without words, we communicate with our eyes.”
“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,” Erivo concluded.
Grande, who is Erivo’s co-star in the movie, initially remained quiet, but she has now spoken out, calling the situation “complicated”, particularly as it touches on concerns about Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Speaking to Variety at the Academy Museum Gala on Saturday (October 19), the ‘7 Rings’ singer said: “I find AI so conflicting and troublesome sometimes, 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,” she added.
Asked if she thinks fans can go “too far,” the ‘Thank U Next’ vocalist responded: “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,” she added.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande will star in Wicked. Credit: David Becker / Getty
Wicked is set to be released in theatres on November 22. A second instalment is rumored to follow next year.
Other notable names in the film are Michelle Yeoh who will be taking on the role of Madame Morrible, Jonathan Bailey, who will be playing Fiyero, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard.
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Liam Payne’s former partner shares touching messages he sent her prior to his tragic death

By Nasima Khatun
Liam Payne’s former partner has shared a touching message he sent to her prior to his heartbreaking death.
Payne died aged 31. Credit: Andrew Chin/Getty
On October 16, it was announced that the former One Direction member had tragically passed away after falling from the third floor of a balcony at a hotel in Argentina.
The 31-year-old had been staying at the Hotel CasaSur in the Palermo neighborhood when he fell from a third-floor room leaving him with fatal injuries.
The BBC reported that the head of Buenos Aires’s SAME emergency medical service, Alberto Crescenti, told local television that Payne had suffered “very serious injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall” and there was “no possibility of resuscitation.”
People gathered outside of the hotel where Payne lost his life. Credit: Luciano Gonzalez/Anadolu/Getty
A preliminary autopsy was carried out and confirmed that the ‘Strip That Down’ hitmaker suffered severe injuries that led to “internal and external hemorrhaging” from the impact of the fall.
In the wake of the news, close family and friends – including some of Payne’s former partners – have been taking to social media to express their love for the late singer.
Last night, Danielle Peazer – who dated Payne from 2010 until 2013 – released a statement in which she revealed a touching message her former lover sent to her just before he died.
“Whilst we all take the time to navigate in a world without Liam, it’s important to remember that while he was adored by millions as a world-famous musician for the last decade, he was also someone’s son and brother for more than 30 years, a friend to so many and more recently an uncle,” she started the post.
The dancer then went on to state that his most prized title was the fact that he was a father, offering her unwavering support to his son Bear as well as Payne’s parents and sisters.
Peazer continued her heartfelt message with a direct message dedicated to the late 31-year-old.
“This still doesn’t feel real,” she wrote.
“Despite being aware of your struggles over the years, I hoped and prayed that this day would never come. But now we’re all facing the reality of living a life without your presence. It’s common at times like this for people to say ‘I hope he knew how much I cared about him’ but I know that you knew how I felt, it was one thing we were really good at being brutally honest with our feelings for each other, whether the other wanted to hear it or not.”
Payne dated Peazer from 2010-2013 but remained in touch over the past decade. Credit: Mark Robert Milan/FilmMagic/Getty
She concluded her emotional post by revealing a touching message the singer sent to her just weeks before his untimely death.
“Thank you for teaching me about the importance of setting boundaries, and that I should always protect my heart,” she said. “Receiving a message from you a couple of weeks ago expressing your happiness for the love I found with (partner) Sonny (Jay) and (daughter) Mia is something I’ll cherish forever.
“I’m sorry your story didn’t end differently, and I’m sorry you didn’t ever get to share more of your magic with the world. Rest easy, my friend. Love Danielle x,” she added.
Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy released a statement after the star’s death. Credit: Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis/Getty
It comes shortly after Payne’s girlfriend at the time of his passing, Kate Cassidy, broke her silence about losing her loved one.
“Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. I have been at a complete loss,” Cassidy wrote in a statement posted to her Instagram Stories.
“Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private,” she continued before addressing Payne directly.
“Liam, my angel. You are everything,” she said. “I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.”
Credit: Instagram
An investigation into the circumstances leading up to the singer’s death is currently underway.
Our thoughts are with Payne’s loved ones during this difficult time.
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Cameron Diaz reveals real reason she decided to retire from acting for 11 years

By James Kay
Cameron Diaz is set to make a return to acting after a 11 year hiatus – and she’s revealed why she went away.
Diaz, despite taking an extended break, is a household name known for many iconic movies.
For me she will always be known as Princess Fiona from Shrek – but she has so many more amazing pieces of work under her belt.
But in 2014, she decided to call it a day.
Diaz hasn’t appeared in a movie since 2014. Credit: Presley Ann/Getty
However, she is now set to make a stunning return in January 2025 appearing alongside Jamie Foxx in the aptly named movie Back in Action.
But why did she take a step back from the spotlight in the first place?
Speaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in California on October 14, Diaz shared that leaving Hollywood was a deeply personal choice.
“It felt like the right thing for me, to reclaim my own life, and I just really didn’t care about anything else, I didn’t,” she explained, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“And nobody’s opinion, nobody’s success, no one’s offer, no one’s anything could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have.”
Diaz also revealed that starting a family became her top priority and that the demands of the industry no longer fulfilled her. “It just didn’t feed my soul anymore,” she added.
We can’t wait to see Diaz back in action! Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty
Touching on her decision to come back, the star said: “It was just the right time for my family.
“After COVID, we were in the house for a long time, which was amazing and the problem was we would probably stay there, we would still be there right now. People would be like, ‘It’s over,’ and I’d be like, ‘No it’s not, it’s not over for me.'”
She continued: “So I had to push myself; my husband and I — my husband, who is the best — he was like, ‘You’ve been supporting us and building the family’ and supporting him in his businesses, he’s like, ‘It’s time for us to support you and let Mommy ascend and do her thing.’ He’s like, ‘Let me see you do it, girl.’ I was like, ‘All right, here we go.”
The star is set to return alongside Jamie Foxx. Credit: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty
Diaz also explained that she couldn’t turn Foxx down, and the upcoming movie will be the third time they have worked togethet after Annie and 1999’s Any Given Sunday.
Back in Action is set to drop on Netflix in January 2025, and I can’t wait to see Diaz… Back in action.