No longer squeaky clean! Ariana Grande has slammed rumors that she makes more money than her Sam & Cat costar Jennette McCurdy. The statement comes amid reports that the Nickelodeon series may be getting cancelled after just one season due to tension on set between the two young actresses.
"I hate addressing rumors and I hate gossip but this is really bothering me. Jennette and I agreed upfront that we would be treated equally on this show in all regards (as we should be, considering we each work just as hard as the other on this show)," Grande, 20, wrote via Twitter on Thursday, April 3. "The rumors circulating about our contracts and our salary not being equal are absolutely ridiculous and false. I don't know who's putting these idiotic quotes out there but I thought I'd straighten it out and try to end this nonsense."
"As far as the show goes, I don't know what's happening because I'm not directly involved with the problem but I just wanted to address this one rumor in particular because I am NOT making more money than my costar, nor do I think I should be," she continued. "So we can all move on and get out of our heads that this was a money thing cause I don't play like that at all. I am, have always been and always will be about equality and fairness."
Rumors first circulated that McCurdy, 21, was on the verge of saying goodbye to her Sam Puckett character when she was a no show at the 2014 Kids' Choice Awards in L.A. on March 29.
"I wish I could explain everything as thoroughly as I would like to, but unfortunately a simpler explanation is all I can write," McCurdy tweeted of her absence the following day. "I was put in an uncomfortable, compromising, unfair situation (many of you have guessed what it is) and I had to look out for me."
"I chose to not go because sticking up for what is right and what is fair is what my mom taught me is ALWAYS the most important thing." She added: "I want to thank those of you who have reached out with kind words of support, McCurdians and Arianators alike. No matter who or what you support, I believe in supporting fairness first. If you have done that, thank you."
Nude photos of the actress were leaked online last month, but according to McCurdy, the incident wasn't a factor in her decision to stay home. "My previous tweet has nothing to do with pics leaked.oh you guys lol," she later told her fans. "It has to do with how nickelodeon treated me. That's all. Thanks for the love."
McCurdy has yet to respond to Grande's comment.
