Imagine living your dream as a content creator – spending an evening with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande – only for an unexpected fluke to completely alter the moment. That’s exactly what happened during a photo op with the two stars. But what made the moment more memorable was their reaction, which has social media buzzing. Some are praising the actresses, while others are calling out what really went down. We’ll fill you in.
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Last year, South African content creator and actress Tricia Mpisi attended the European premiere of the blockbuster film “Wicked.” In the now-viral video, she explains her excitement in the moment, the unexpected happens.
“It came time to take this group picture and I’m just like ‘Okay, you know, we’re excited, we’re excited,’ and then look at the enemy,” she recalled, pointing at a glass above her head.
As the creators line up alongside Erivo and Grande to pose for the photo, the glass filled with water above Tricia’s head suddenly shatters, sending a startling scream. A young woman standing behind her quickly stepped forward, apologizing for the glass that had broken above her head.
The shows Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande rushing to Tricia’s aid, taking charge, checking on her, and offering help.
“Are you ok?” Grande gently asked. “It literally felt like I was in a movie,” Tricia said. “I looked down, saw something break, and before I knew it, I felt something warm go into my eyes.” With the mix of mascara and champagne, she said her eyes began to sting and her vision blurred.
In her moment of panic, Tricia shared that both stars offered their support.
“And then the sweetest thing happens,” Tricia explains. “As my eyes were closed and burning, I felt somebody hold me and they’re like, ‘This is Cynthia Erivo. We are going to find you a chair now, okay? You’re gonna be okay.’”
Now, that’s how you take care of your fans.
After receiving that reassurance, Tricia admitted she began crying—partly from discomfort, partly from embarrassment. When she expressed disappointment about her dress being ruined, Ariana Grande’s response shocked her.
“Oh, don’t worry, we can cancel the premiere,” Grande said, cheering her up.
“Really, you would really cancel the premiere? Tricia asked. “Yeah, I know a guy,” Grande replied.
The creator later shared her gratitude, saying, “They literally turned one of the most embarrassing moments into one of the most memorable, human moments of my life. I really appreciate their kindness.”
Social media erupted in praise of both actresses for their gracious spirits.
“Imagine being comforted by THE Ariana Grande,” one TikTok user wrote.
“Cynthia ran for that tissue. She’s so sweet,” another added.
But not everyone was pleased with the incident. So viewers began speculating that the glass breaking wasn’t an accident. “Where did the woman who spilled the glass go?” one TikTok user asked.
The internet identified the woman as @_Iremide, another creator who caught heat over the incident. South African TikTok users began swarming her page, demanding answers to her actions.
Her response? Well, Iremide paid the platform’s users in dust, reminding them that the situation happened a year ago and telling them to move on.
When Tricia caught wind of the harassment, she stepped in to defend her fellow creator.
“It was a mistake, apologies were made, there were no hard feelings,” Tricia clarified. “When I said, ‘Look at the enemy,’ I was talking about the glass, not her.” She added that she never intended to point blame, only to promote kindness.
While many applauded Tricia for handling the moment with grace, others were not as forgiving.
“Girl, nobody can convince me otherwise, but Iremide did that on purpose and absolutely nothing can justify any of this,” one TikTok user wrote.
“Tried to take your shine and gave you the biggest spotlight,” another posted.
“Joke’s on her. You got more attention from Cynthia and Ariana than she ever did,” a third added.
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