Ariana Grande reveals she was called out by her mother after checking her phone during Wicked screening

Even Ariana Grande has been called out for disrupting one movie goers' experience of Wicked. 

The actress revealed she was caught checking her phone during a private family screening of the musical film by her mother Joan Grande. 

Grande stars in the movie and a debate has sprung over whether or not it's appropriate for movie goers to sing out loud in theatres following Wicked's release. 

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, while discussing how many times she has seen Wicked, Grande, 31, revealed she was admonished by Joan after she snuck a peek at her phone while watching the movie with her family, including grandmother in Florida. 

When Grande defended herself, her mother then reminded her she was talking. 

'When I saw it with my nonna in Florida, I did check my phone a few times and my mom was like, "Ariana, get off your phone!" And I was like, "Mommy, not only have I seen it, but I’m in it!" I was like, "I know what happens here. I think I can quickly check what was just sent to me!" She’s like, "Ariana, you’re talking!"'

The humorous anecdote comes amid a larger debate about singing in theaters following Wicked's release. 

Before the film was officially released, cinemas in the US warned that singing along to the musical's hit numbers was strictly prohibited - following reports of disruptions during early screenings across the country. 

According to The New York Times, some fans struggled to contain themselves during Grande and Erivo's renditions of hits such as Popular and Defying Gravity at early screenings - triggering the ire of fellow cinemagoers.

Subsequently, American cinema chain AMC has reminded movie-goers that 'silence is golden' and singing during the screenings will not be tolerated.

'At AMC Theaters, silence is golden. No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No Flirting. And absolutely no name-calling. Enjoy the magic of movies,' a pre-show advisory issued by AMC read, as reported by The Independent.

A spokesperson for AMC also told American newspaper IndyStar that while this has always been the theatre's 'long-standing policy', they wanted to reiterate the rules because of the widespread popularity of songs such as Defying Gravity and What is this Feeling.

'The WICKED preshow spot incorporates the themes of the film as a fun, engaging reminder to moviegoers to not disrupt the experience for those around them as they enjoy the show,' AMC's official statement to the publication read.

Fans have also been sharing images of signs banning singing during screenings of Wicked on X, with one such message reading: 'We ask that you allow everyone to enjoy the cinema experience.

'Please refrain from singing during the show.' 

The ban sparked a furious row about theatre etiquette on TikTok and Reddit, as fans debated whether it is appropriate to sing along during movie screenings. 

Last month, Grande's Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo encouraged fans to belt out the hit tracks as she weighed in on whether or not singing should be allowed in movie theatres. 

She said: 'Good. I’m OK with it. We spent this long singing it ourselves — it’s time for everyone else to join in. It’s wonderful.

'This has been a dream come true, to be able to share it with my family and friends.

'People sharing their own experiences and feeling different. And them being comfortable enough to share that with me. I’m really thankful for that.'