Rumor Has It Original Glinda Billie Burke Had a Relationship With a Female Director

Since the film adaptation of Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande debuted, many people (including myself) have watched it, watched it again, and gone home and took deep dives into everything Wicked-related.

One of the best observations has been seeing people realize just how much the musical and the movie and book it's based on, The Wizard of Oz, have many ties to the LGBTQ+ community. For starters, several of the leads identify as queer and are in queer relationships in real life.

Additionally, fans have shipped Cynthia and Ariana's characters, Elphaba and Glinda, aka "Gelphie's" relationship since the show opened on Broadway in 2003.

Amid the extra attention the queer-osity (Yes, I made that word up), comes another piece of the community's history regarding Wiz lore.

Here's how actor Billie Burke, who played the original Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, played a role in the franchise's queer woman history.

Due to living in an era where it was even more challenging to be an LGBTQ+ member than it is today, Billie and Dorothy reportedly embarked on a secret relationship.

According to them, the actor met the renowned and openly queer director who worked together on a film called Christopher Strong. Dorothy directed Billie alongside Katherine Hepburn for the movie.

In 1936, years after their film ended, rumors began to swirl that they had more than a working relationship. Dorothy reportedly stayed at Billie's house while her home was being “remodeled," which signaled she was more than welcome to be in the same space as the actor.

Neither Billie nor Dorothy disclosed that their relationship was more than platonic, though her Turner Classic Movies profile lists the director as the Glinda actor's "companion."

Although we will never know how much truth there is to Billie and Dorothy's relationship, both parties were in other relationships when they reportedly got together.

Billie, who died in 1970, was married to producer Florenz Ziegfeld in 1914 until he died in 1932. Dorothy was also in a somewhat open, committed relationship with choreographer and screenwriter Marion Morgan.

It's unclear if Marion or Florenz knew about Billie and Dorothy's affair. However, Florenz was reportedly unfaithful multiple times during his and Billie's marriage. Dorothy was also rumored to have affairs with Katherine Hepburn and Joan Crawford.

While Billie never confirmed being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, her relationship with Dorothy has been discussed over the years and increased after Wicked's arrival.

During the film's press run, Ariana Grande told E! News she always felt Glinda was queer. According to PinkNews, The Wizard of Oz's writer, L. Frank Baum, has also suggested in his books that Glinda is saaphic.