As the press cycle for Wicked: For Good came to an end following the film’s release last November, clips from Ariana Grande’s interview with film critic Erik Davis have recently gone viral, for all the wrong reasons.
The interview, released in segments across social media as part of the sequel’s promotional campaign, has sparked renewed scrutiny of the pop star.
Highlights
- A viral interview clip featuring Ariana Grande and Erik Davis ignited fresh backlash, with online critics dissecting her “creepy mannerisms” and physical appearance.
- Speculation spiraled on social media as users shared theories ranging from alleged cosmetic procedures to concerns about the pop star’s emotional and physical well-being.
- Grande has faced similar criticism for months, with her recent 2026 Golden Globes appearance on January 11 also drawing intense scrutiny online.
One clip, in particular, caught the attention of the viral subreddit r/ArianaGrandeSnark, which is known for repeatedly nitpicking the 32-year-old singer, igniting wild theories about her so-called “creepy mannerisms.”
“She seems like she is horribly uncomfortable and like she is going to have a panic attack at any time,” wrote one social media user.
Ariana Grande’s behavior during an interview with film critic Erik Davis sparked wild fan theories about her alleged “creepy mannerisms”
Image credits: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
In January 2026, Erik Davis, a renowned American film critic and journalist known for his work with Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, posted highlight segments from his interview with Ariana Grande on his official Threads and Instagram accounts.
The exact taping date of the conversation remains unclear, as a single full-length video of the interview has not yet been released. Davis confirmed this in response to a fan comment on Instagram.
The interview focused on topics related to the musical fantasy film, as well as life advice and Grande’s emotional preparation for her iconic role as Glinda.
Image credits: JC Olivera/Variety via Getty Images
During a segment discussing her personal growth and development as an actor, Grande told Davis, “Just bury yourself in the craft. Don’t let anything disconnect you from what you love about doing this or distract you.”
“Support and keep coming back to your craft,” she added.
In response, the film critic praised her insight, saying, “That’s great! I always like to think that as artists and creatives, we need two things: somebody who believes in us, and then we need to believe in ourselves.”
Image credits: thisiserikdavis
He continued, “I feel like you have both of those things. You can achieve anything.”
The compliment made the We Can’t Be Friends singer visibly emotional, as she placed one hand on her chest and replied, “Whoa, you got me! Yeah, that's so important.”
“She started crying after he spoke two words, she was always the problem, not Cynthia, it was her always,” reacted several critics online
Image credits: thisiserikdavis
However, the clip quickly sparked a wave of negative chatter after it was shared on the subreddit r/ArianaGrandeSnark.
The post was captioned, “This video creeped me out. The weird things she does with her face and eyes after she says, ‘and keep coming back to your craft’. Idk if it’s the uppers she does or what.”
The gesture in question referred to Grande rapidly blinking her eyes multiple times while simultaneously biting her lower lip, behavior many users deemed “forced.”
Image credits: thisiserikdavis
One Reddit user wrote, “The way she bit her lip or whatever she did was weird paired with the extra blinking which drives me insane. She looks so forced.”
Another critic commented, “Her s*cking in her bottom lip and batting her lashes looked like an alien trying to imitate a pick me.”
“I think she was really trying not to cry, and she's kinda uhh tweaking out or something so the mannerisms of that were super weird.”
Others speculated that her expressions were the result of Grande allegedly being under the influence of a “stimulant.”
“lmao i was thinking that too. this is me when i take too much adderall. nausea is a common side affect. she has to be on a stimulant,” one critic claimed, while another added bluntly, “She’s high…”
The Grammy winner was accused of being under the influence of an illegal substance, having undergone a “botched” cosmetic procedure, and on the verge of a “panic attack”
Image credits: arianagrande
“You can literally see her nostrils are uneven implying the cartilage is f*cked. She is so obviously high off of c*ke just from her rapid movements and constant need to move parts of her body excessively,” wrote a third user.
One commenter summed up the speculation surrounding the Victorious star, writing, “This is 1000% c*ke. I’m speaking from experience, both myself and being around people who used. You constantly have to move and when you have to sit still, you do anything you can to move some part of your body.”
Image credits: arianagrande
“She’s constantly s*cking her cheeks, biting her lips, her head is shaking, the constant eye movements and blinking. The over emotional personality and excessive smiling. She is on c**aine and the fact that people are so oblivious to it is sending me.”
The commenter then doubled down, speculating that Grande might be using her “a**iction… to not only curb her hunger… but I think it’s a way to keep herself energised to keep her career going as she’s not gaining that energy from food.”
Image credits: thisiserikdavis
These criticisms stem from heightened worries about Grande’s well-being, with many fans admitting they feel “scared” for the singer after her seemingly fragile appearances at multiple public events.
Ariana has been under constant scrutiny in recent months, due to her reportedly “frail” physical appearance, which has raised concern among fans
Image credits: arianagrande
Others took issue with the 32-year-old pop star’s “bizarre” makeup look during the interview, sparking renewed whispers about allegedly “botched” cosmetic procedures.
“It's like they thought putting her in a full beat would make her look less botched but it’s really bringing out how alien she has altered her features to look. This is so unsettling to watch.”
The latest wave of backlash followed the Swindle star’s appearance at the 2026 Golden Globes on January 11, where she found herself at the center of another red carpet controversy.
Grande attended the ceremony in a custom black Vivienne Westwood ball gown that accentuated her frame and reignited heated debate over her physique.
Critics labeled the look “unhealthy” and “skeletal,” with one user writing, “She wants to look like a delicate tiny baby flower. She’s obsessing over the attention she’s getting over her being too thin, too pale, sickly, bald etc. She’s feeding off it.”
“Dr*gs… enabled narcissistic behavior. She has no idea she looks like this. She genuinely thinks she looks normal here,” commented one netizen
