Cynthia Erivo's 'I Didn't Know That Was Happening' Becomes a Reaction Meme a Year After That Unfortunate Interview

5 months ago 23

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Cynthia Erivo Saying "I Didn't Know That Was Happening" refers to an image macro and reaction meme that features Wicked star Cynthia Erivo alongside a quote from her that reads, "I didn't know that was happening." The image was originally posted by PopSugarAU, and recounts a statement given by Erivo in response to a journalist asking for her reaction to people taking the lyrics of the song "Defying Gravity" and really holding space with that. The interview as well as Erivo and Ariana Grande's overly emotional reactions spawned a series of memes in 2024, however, the PopSugarAU template gained traction as a reaction meme after August 2025, with internet users using the meme to joke about learning something for the first time or being surprised by an event.

Origin

On November 20th, 2024, Out Magazine (Out.com) posted an interview to Instagram showing Wicked movie stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo speaking with reporter Tracy E. Gilchrist. In the interview clip, Gilchrist said, "I've seen this week people are taking the lyrics of 'Defying Gravity' and really holding space with that and feeling power in that," to which Erivo responded, "I didn't know that was happening."

The Reel gained roughly 91,700 likes in a year (repost on X shown below).

pic.twitter.com/NL8VlANzKa

— masha (@MashaParty) November 21, 2024

On November 24th, 2024, Instagram page @PopSugarAU posted a graphic highlighting Cynthia Erivo's quote, "I didn't know that was happening," gathering an unknown number of likes.

On November 24th, Instagram page @PopSugarAU posted a graphic highlighting Cynthia Erivo's response to learning that people were taking the lyrics of the song "Defying Gravity" and "really holding space with that." Erivo is quoted to have said, "I didn't know that was happening."

However, the image did not come to be used as a meme until August 28th, 2025, tweet by X account @brutalizermp3 that read, "The amount of you watching SNL…," and gathered over 33,000 likes in three months.

On August 28th, X user @brutalizermp3 tweeted, "The amount of you watching SNL…," alongside an image of Cynthia Erivo's "I didn't know that was happening." The post gathered over 33,000 likes in three months.

Spread

On November 1st, 2025, X user @thenightbethore tweeted the Cynthia Erivo meme "I didn't know that was happening," alongside a tweet that read, "just found out vienna awaits for me." The post gathered over 61,000 likes in six days.

X user @thenightbethore tweeted the Cynthia Erivo meme "I didn't know that was happening," alongside a tweet that read, "just found out vienna awaits for me."

On November 5th, X user @basicallydjo posted the Cynthia Erivo "I didn't know that was happening," meme responding to a tweet that said Ringo Starr and Shelley Duvall dated during the filming of the film The Shining. The post gathered over 100,000 likes in two days.

On November 5th, 2025, X user @basicallydjo posted the Cynthia Erivo "I didn't know that was happening," meme responding to a tweet that said Ringo Starr and Shelley Duvall dated during the filming of the film _The Shining_.

X user @conradsconklin tweeted, "that suitcase going from cousins to the airport to paris to a cafe to a train station to the club to a restaurant to a bus to the seine," on September 3rd, 2025, gathering over 21,000 likes in two months.