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Cynthia Erivo Reveals Teenage Abandonment by Her Father in New Memoir Excerpt

The People exclusive details her shift from years of striving for his approval to a stance of neutrality.

Overview

  • In the excerpt, Erivo writes that at 16 her father left her alone in a London Underground station after an argument over a transit pass.
  • She says he told her he no longer wanted to be in their lives and that day was the last time they spoke.
  • Erivo describes years of trying to prove herself before deciding she does not need his approval and now feels neutral toward him.
  • She underscores how little she knows about him, noting a few remembered details such as his whistle, a leather bomber jacket, and a taste for Nigerian dishes.
  • Simply More is out now from Flatiron Books, with the excerpt widely recirculated by outlets, and Erivo has linked her healing process to portraying Elphaba in Wicked.