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Kristin Chenoweth shared the truth behind the rumors that she and her Wicked co-star Idina Menzel didn’t get along when they first worked together on the Broadway show. “We are so different in the way we do our process that of course rumors are going to fly, right?” Chenoweth, 57, told The Hollywood Reporter of her and Menzel, 54, in an interview published on Monday, November 3, addressing online speculation that they didn’t get along. The West Wing actress continued, “She and I, only we know what we went through to get to where we were. We would die for each other. So it’s like sisters. Are sisters always perfect? So it’s family. That’s the best way I can describe it.” Rumors first circulated that Chenoweth and Menzel didn’t get along after they were both nominated for Tony Awards in the best performance by a leading actress category at the 2004 ceremony. Menzel ultimately ended up taking home the trophy for her role as Elphaba in the musical. While the women have recently worked together in a memorable cameo in the 2024 Wicked movie, both Chenoweth and Menzel have chosen to address the feud speculation over the years. “I’d like to speak on this,” Chenoweth told Vulture during a joint interview with Menzel in October 2023. “After a certain amount of time after we opened, my mom was dealing with cancer. I was emotional, and I was thinking about some other things. To me, there was no way that I would win a Tony. Yes, it’s the two girls as leads. But it’s Elphaba’s story. I needed to deal with that part of me.” Chenoweth, who originated the role of Glinda in the Broadway production, continued, “I was very emotional. I tried to push it out, I mean, if only people knew.” “Unfortunately, people like to do that to women. They can’t be supportive of one another,” Menzel added. “You have to put all this conflict in there. We were tired and extremely supportive of one another.” Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Chenoweth also opened up about Wicked being met with negative reviews when it first premiered on Broadway. “I knew it when we opened in San Francisco,” she explained to the outlet. “I knew it. I remember talking to Idina after opening night in New York. It was a sad day,” she admitted. “She goes, ‘We should have gotten good reviews.’ I go, ‘No. It doesn’t matter. You are the green girl who flies at the end of Act 1. I come down in a bubble. We sing ‘For Good.’ And the people have spoken.’”
