Women's Lifestyle October 28, 2025 0 Comments

Cynthia Erivo’s Shocking Family Fallout That Changed Her Life—and What It Means for You!

Ever wonder how someone can feel completely themselves—jaw set strong, voice effortlessly melodic, charm practically oozing—after weathering such a personal storm? Cynthia Erivo’s story isn’t just about talent on the stage or screen; it’s a raw, gripping journey of finding light in profound loss. When her father disowned her at 16, you might think that’d shatter the closest bonds—but instead, it carved out space for clarity, growth, and an unshakable sense of happiness. It’s a story packed with heartache and healing, with a sprinkle of that fierce, unstoppable spirit we all aspire to have when the chips are down. Curious how she flipped the script on pain and found freedom in self-belief? Dive in—you’re going to want to hear this. LEARN MORE

2 min read

Cynthia Erivo feels “so fully [herself] right now,” and seeing her strong jaw, melodic voice, and charming presence, it’s hard to imagine that she was ever uncertain of who she was. Still, in her November cover story for Harper’s Bazaar, the actor gets raw about one experience in her life that changed everything: her estrangement from her father.

Erivo’s parents were born in Nigeria, but fled the country as it broke into a civil war and raised Erivo and her younger sister, Stephanie, in Stockwell, London. But when Erivo was 16, her father disowned the girls.

Like with everything in her life, Erivo has grown to find purpose in the pain. Being abandoned by her dad put everything into perspective.

“I don’t know what my life would be like if he was still around, and I can’t say whether it would be better or worse,” she tells Bazaar. “Better not to find out. I’ve never daydreamed about that, because it’s not going to happen. And the life that I have, I am so happy in it.”

Cass Bird

Having taken a break from playing Elphaba in Wicked, Erivo is now gearing up for the release of the musical film’s second half, Wicked: For Good, in which Elphaba is all grown up. “What I love is having had the chance to play her when she has to figure out what she is and play her again when she knows,” Erivo says of her character.

That journey to self-assurance is one she knows well. One thing the actor has come to realize through the years, especially amidst her rise to mega fame, is that she has a stronger faith, in herself, and in the universe, than she ever thought. “We have the habit of limiting ourselves, based on the bodies we come to earth in and other people’s perceptions,” she says. “And when you can let go of those things, it’s very freeing.”