Read previewKristin Chenoweth opened up about her decades-long friendship with Ariana Grande and defended the singer months after she was criticized for reportedly dating her married costar Ethan Slater. Grande stars as Glinda in the upcoming film adaptation of "Wicked," a role which Chenoweth played when the musical debuted on Broadway in 2003. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in "Wicked." Representatives for Ariana Grande did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

---

Persons: —, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Grande, Glinda, Chenoweth, Slater, Dalton Gomez, Slater —, Lilly Jay, Bruce Glikas, Chenoweth —, AbbVie, I've, She's, Cynthia Erivo, Zach Sang, " Chenoweth Organizations: Service, Broadway, Business, Universal, Forbes, Variety, Daily Mail Locations: New York