‘Moments Before Covid’: Ariana Grande Tests Positive For Covid Amid ‘Wicked: For Good’ Release

Ariana Grande has revealed that she tested positive for Covid-19 amid ‘Wicked: For Good’ promotions. Sharing an Instagram story on Thursday, Nov. 20, she posted an image from her recent appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, accompanied by the message, “moments before Covid.”

On Instagram, Grande’s brief mention of her COVID diagnosis was followed by many stories counting down to the release of the second Wicked film. Since that initial post, she has not provided any further updates on her health.

This announcement follows Grande’s absence from interviews at the New York premiere of ‘Wicked: For Good’, where she stood in solidarity with co-star Cynthia Erivo, who was unwell and had lost her voice, according to Variety.

Due to her positive test, Grande has withdrawn from a taped segment with Erivo on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “Erivo will appear alone for the segment,” sources told Variety. Additionally, Grande will miss the upcoming Q&A sessions planned around the film.

Both Erivo and Grande have previously tested positive for Covid-19 during the filming of the original Wicked movie. Erivo contracted the virus just before shooting Defying Gravity, while Grande tested positive shortly before filming Popular.

The ‘Wicked: For Good’ press tour has faced multiple setbacks in recent weeks. Grande was unable to attend the film’s first premiere in Brazil due to “safety issues” and flight delays, reported Rolling Stone. “My team and Universal have tried every single thing possible to fix this, we’ve searched every other flight… and absolutely nothing was available or possible that would get us there in time,” Grande said at the time.

Then, during the Singapore premiere, Grande was confronted by a man who rushed towards her. Erivo intervened quickly to protect her co-star. The man was later arrested and charged with being a public nuisance.

According to Variety, the film is projected to earn between $150 million and $180 million from 4,000 North American theatres in its opening weekend, potentially surpassing April’s A Minecraft Movie ($162 million) and May’s Lilo & Stitch remake ($146 million). The original Wicked had previously set a record for stage-to-screen adaptations with $112.5 million over the same pre-Thanksgiving period.

At the New York premiere, as Grande hurried down the carpet, she told reporters, “We are so grateful. We are great. Cynthia’s great, too,” while Erivo gave a thumbs up.

‘Wicked: For Good’ opens in theatres today (Nov. 21).