There are no more tears to cry.
Photo: Jake’s Takes via YouTube

Lady Gaga didn’t bless us with any madness during the press tour Joker: Folie à Deux this fall, but thank goodness 2024 still gave us some over-animated triple threats. The award for best press tour does not go to Gaga, but to her “Rain on Me” collaborator Ariana Grande(-Butera) along with Cynthia Erivo for their extremely sad promotion of Bad. And we get it – Bad is important to many people, and putting your art out into the world is an emotional process. The duo even apologized during one Entertainment tonight interview on November 10. “It’s really emotional,” Grande said, with Erivo adding that “we’re doing our best, but there’s a lot of emotional stuff happening, and we’re just going with it.” But do they stay sufficiently hydrated? What if their bodies run out of water? Do they know that a completely different movie will be released next year? For comparison, here are the best moments from Erivo and Grande’s extremely tearful press tour (part one).

During a podcast interview on November 6, we get a taste of how easy it is to bring the witches to tears. Host Em tells them how important the film is. “This film means so much to me and there are so many millions of children like me who seek refuge with the witches,” she says.

“Can you stay all day?” Grande asks in response, as she cries.

Did they cry? Yes, lots of tissues.

Both women appear on their co-star Bowen Yang’s podcast with Matt Rogers, Las Culturistas, as part of the promo. Grande, whose episode dropped on November 6, becomes extremely emotional. At one point, Rogers, who does not appear in the film, begins to cry as he tells Grande, “It’s so wonderful to see someone doing something they were born to do.” He thanks her for taking care of Yang, and Grande holds his hand as he cries.

Erivo’s episode, which will be released on November 13, is less emotional, although she gets very passionate when talking about music culture.

Did they cry? Ariana Grande (water sign) cried, Cynthia Erivo (earth sign) didn’t.

At the end of a short interview with Jakes Takes on November 8, Jake refers to the duet ‘For Good’, which will be released in Bad: part two, turning both actresses into sobbing messes, asking, “In what ways has the person sitting next to you changed you forever?” That question is the equivalent of creating a tornado around a house of cards, and they fall apart almost immediately. “When we first started, each of us was missing a little piece, and I think we were able to see a little bit of a reflection in each other, and so I think I got a little bit of her softness,” Erivo explains. . Grande, who can barely speak, responds, “Her strength.”

Did they cry? Yes, a lot.

Nischelle Turner, front Entertainment tonightruns an emotional rollercoaster of a Nov. 12 interview with Grande and Erivo. The former cries when Turner asks about her father’s reaction to the use of her full name in the credits. “He was crying and, you know, it was just…” Grande says in response. “That was my name when I first saw it Bad.”

To Erivo, Turner comments on what it felt like growing up black in a predominantly white area, like Elphaba, while Erivo becomes so bereft that all she can say is “Yes.” “I just know what it feels like to feel like you don’t fit in,” Erivo whispers.

Did they cry? Yes, a lot.

Somewhere around this time the tears start to dry, perhaps because the actresses have been made aware of the bit – note the aforementioned acknowledgment of their crying on November 10th. In a viral interview posted to the Advocate’s YouTube channel on November 13 Outan interviewer tells them that in the aftermath of the election, people are “saving space” for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity.” It is remarkable that Erivo, although she takes it seriously, does not cry. Maybe Ariana’s finger grip gave her some strength back.

Did they cry? No, but Erivo is definitely on the cusp.

Here we especially want to give them credit. All the questions in this interview, which came later in the run-up, on November 20, are just bait, and they won’t accept it. The interviewer asks things like, “How did you celebrate getting the news that you had landed your dream roles?” and “If you could both say one thing to your younger self, what would it be?” and “Who has been the biggest mentor to you throughout your career?”

Did they cry? No!