Ariana Grande’s whirlwind press tour for Wicked: For Good hit an unexpected roadblock when the pop superstar revealed she had fallen ill, testing positive for COVID-19 just as the final leg of the promotional run kicked off.
Fans had already been buzzing about Grande’s dramatic physical transformation in recent weeks, with headlines speculating about her health and well-being ahead of the sequel to the blockbuster Wicked film. The highly anticipated follow-up reunited Grande, 32, and Cynthia Erivo, 38, as the iconic witches of Oz, with premieres in London, Singapore, and New York drawing global attention.
Press Tour Challenges
The tour, however, faced several disruptions. Grande missed the Brazil premiere due to aircraft safety issues, and just days later, she faced a frightening incident on the Singapore red carpet. A man grabbed her during a public appearance on Nov. 13, prompting Erivo to step in instantly, shielding her co-star until security intervened. The man, 26-year-old Johnson Wen, was later sentenced to nine days in jail.
Meanwhile, media speculation intensified over Grande’s noticeably thinner frame. Speaking openly for the first time, she addressed the scrutiny in a December 2024 interview with the Independent:
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