Ariana Grande has tested positive for COVID-19, just as the promotional tour for Wicked: For Good wraps up. Grande announced the news on Instagram, sharing a photo from her recent Tonight Show appearance with the caption "moments before Covid," per Variety. Her diagnosis comes on the heels of the New York premiere, where Grande skipped interviews in support of co-star Cynthia Erivo, who was under the weather and had lost her voice. During brief comments for a livestream at the event, Grande explained that she was "not letting [Erivo] speak," People reports.
Grande's positive test means she will miss a planned joint appearance with Erivo on the Kelly Clarkson Show—Erivo will go solo—and she is also bowing out of upcoming Q&A sessions tied to the film. Both stars have dealt with COVID before: Erivo caught it just before filming her big "Defying Gravity" number for the first Wicked movie, while Grande tested positive ahead of shooting "Popular." The press tour for Wicked: For Good hasn't exactly been smooth: Grande missed the Brazil premiere, and in Singapore, a man jumped the barricade and had to be pulled off Grande by Erivo. (He ended up in jail.)
Despite the hiccups, the film is expected to make a big splash at the box office, with projections in the $150 million to $180 million range for its opening weekend—potentially the biggest debut of the year so far. The film hits theaters Friday.
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