Ariana Grande pauses ‘Wicked: For Good’ promo after testing positive for Covid

Ariana Grande has hit pause on her Wicked: For Good press tour after confirming she tested positive for COVID-19. The singer-actor posted an Instagram Story showing a backstage photo from her recent stop at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, captioned, “Moments before Covid.”

Her update follows noticeable absences during the film’s New York premiere, where she skipped interviews. Co-star Cynthia Erivo has also shared she’s been feeling under the weather and temporarily lost her voice.

According to Variety, Grande has withdrawn from a planned taped appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show and will miss upcoming Q&A events. The setback echoes the pair’s experience while filming the first Wicked movie, when both tested positive at different points—Erivo shortly before shooting “Defying Gravity,” and Grande just ahead of “Popular.”

The duo has been in full promotion mode for director Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: For Good, the second instalment in Universal’s adaptation of the beloved novel and Broadway musical. Grande returns as Glinda, now a polished symbol of “Good” in Emerald City, while Erivo reprises her role as Elphaba, the ostracised figure determined to expose the truth about the Wizard, played by Jeff Goldblum.

Wicked: For Good is slated to land in theatres on November 21.