Ariana Grande tests positive for COVID as Wicked: For Good press tour suffers fresh disruptions
Ariana Grande has provided her fans with a health update after bringing the Wicked: For Good press tour to a sudden halt just as it was coming to an end.
The 32-year-old shared a photo from her November 18th appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to Instagram Stories on Thursday, captioning it, “moments before COVID.”
Shortly after the post, Variety reported Grande has withdrawn from a scheduled taping of The Kelly Clarkson Show and would also miss several upcoming Q&A panels for Wicked: For Good.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Her co-star Cynthia Erivo will proceed with her appearance on Clarkson’s show.
Grande’s update follows a week of disrupted publicity. She and Erivo, 38, skipped most interviews at the film’s New York City premiere on Monday, November 17, after Universal Pictures announced Erivo had lost her voice and was “not feeling well.”
Both actors still posed for photos on the red carpet and briefly addressed fans during a livestream from the event, with Grande explaining she was “not letting (Erivo) speak,” as Erivo offered a few words in a strained tone.
The COVID diagnosis marks the latest setback for a press tour already hit by a series of incidents.
On November 4, Grande was unable to attend the São Paulo premiere due to what was described as a “safety issue” involving her plane.
Less than two weeks later in Singapore, a man rushed toward her on the red carpet and grabbed her before security intervened.
Johnson Wen, 26, who uses the handle “Pyjman Man” on Instagram, recorded himself carrying out the stunt at the high-profile Singapore event, where Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh were among the stars walking the carpet.
Footage Wen later posted online shows Grande recoiling as he rushes towards her, with Erivo stepping between them and shouting at the self-styled influencer.
Erivo later referenced the frightening moment during a Screen Actors Guild screening over the weekend, telling the audience her co-star had gone “through some s***” recently.
“I mean, f***, even this last week,” Erivo said. “Let’s be honest, for f***’s sake. We’ve had to really deal with some stuff.”
The confrontation was likely distressing for Grande, who has previously spoken publicly about her PTSD following the 2017 bombing at her concert in Manchester.
This isn’t the first time illness has shadowed the franchise.
During the promotional run for the first Wicked film in 2024, both Grande and Erivo revealed they each contracted COVID shortly before filming what Grande described to The New York Times as “some of the most important works of the whole movie.”
Erivo most recently addressed her own health during a separate Tonight Show interview on November 19, saying her voice was “still missing in action, but she’s there,” before adding, “She’s kind of sexy,” in a low, whispered tone.
