NBC has quietly edited its special “Wicked: One Wonderful Night,” removing three words deemed too offensive for broadcast. The show aired just days ago — but sharp-eyed viewers noticed the changes immediately. Now, whispers are spreading about what was really said, and why the network moved so quickly to erase it. The detail behind the cut is something no one saw coming.
The recent NBC special, Wicked: One Wonderful Night, meant to celebrate the blockbuster musical and offer a sneak peek at the upcoming film adaptation, hit a brief but significant snag when the network quietly moved to edit the broadcast just days after it first aired. Sharp-eyed fans were quick to notice a change, with three particular words being excised from a segment—a detail that has since sparked intense speculation about the nature of the “offensive” language and the reason for the quick, almost secretive retraction.
The root of the issue lies not in a slip-up by the hosts or one of the movie’s major stars, but rather in a candid moment from a beloved figure connected to the franchise. Though initial rumors suggested a controversial on-stage gaffe or a political statement, the truth behind the three removed words is tied to an off-screen controversy that the film’s star, Cynthia Erivo, has been very vocal about.
The controversy centers on a viral meme trend that became widespread online following the release of the movie’s first images. This meme featured the Wicked character Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, asking Elphaba, played by Erivo, a specific, lewd, and racially charged question about her green skin. The three words removed from the NBC special are widely believed to be the offensive core of this meme, which Erivo herself has previously and publicly condemned as “wildest, most offensive thing” she had seen online.
Erivo, an Oscar-nominated actress, has been exceptionally forthright about the hurtful and “degrading” nature of the online harassment she and her co-star have faced. She specifically addressed the meme in an emotional social media post several weeks prior, stating that it was “equal to people posing the question ‘is your [offensive phrase] green’” and insisting, “None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.” Erivo was also responding to other fan edits of the official movie poster, which she felt were attempting to “erase” her presence by obscuring her eyes to mimic the original Broadway illustration style.
NBC’s decision to quietly edit out the three words is being viewed as a protective measure—a definitive move to align the network’s broadcast with Erivo’s explicit request to distance the promotion of the film from the hurtful and inappropriate online chatter. The content of the segment, which is speculated to have included a mention of the offensive phrase by one of the special’s hosts or guests, was quickly deemed unacceptable for a family-friendly, primetime broadcast. The swift editing action demonstrates the network’s commitment to supporting its star and honoring her request for respect and dignity.
The quiet removal, however, is what drew the attention of the keenest viewers, fueling the very whispers the network likely wished to avoid. The detail behind the cut—that the “offensive” words were tied to a viral online meme about the star’s race and body—was not the kind of scandal many expected. It was a stark reminder of the often-toxic atmosphere celebrity cast members face online, and the burden placed on them to speak out against it.
In an age where fan culture can quickly spiral into targeted harassment, NBC’s quick editorial decision serves as a subtle, but firm, institutional rejection of the offensive language. While the details of the exact moment and the person who uttered the phrase remain obscured by the network’s edit, the reason behind the cut is clear: to erase a deeply hurtful and inappropriate moment and stand in solidarity with the star of one of their most anticipated upcoming projects. The Wicked special continues to air, now scrubbed of the regrettable phrase, preserving the “Wonderful Night” the broadcast was intended to be.
The episode Cynthia Erivo Slams Wicked Fan Edit provides a video discussing Cynthia Erivo’s reaction to the fan edits and offensive memes related to the Wicked poster, which is contextually related to the offensive language mentioned in the article.
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