The musician hit dead ends in every route she tried to take to get there in time for the event, writing, “Absolutely nothing was available or possible that would get us there in time”
Wicked: For Good will begin its global premiere tour in São Paulo, Brazil, later this evening. It kicks off a run that will include stops in Paris, London, Singapore, and New York, leading up to the film’s Nov. 21 theatrical release date. But the momentous opening will be without one of its stars. Ariana Grande will miss the premiere due to flight delays, she shared on Instagram.
“I can’t believe this is happening and I am beyond devastated to be sending this message,” Grande wrote. The singer and actress — who leads as Glinda in the film — boarded a plane with her team last night, but they were told to deplane for maintenance reasons with the crew citing safety concerns. This delayed the flight until 11 a.m., leaving insufficient time to make it to the premiere.
“My team and Universal have tried every single thing possible to fix this, we’ve searched every other flight, overnight, early morning, connecting flights, commercial and also private options and absolutely nothing was available or possible that would get us there in time,” Grande said. “Even in attempting a private option, there is a permit necessary in order to fly from here that takes time to attain.”
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Grande will make her first appearance on the premiere tour in Paris on Nov. 7, while the rest of the cast, including Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey, will ensure that the show goes on in Brazil in her absence.
“I am so heartbroken that i’m unable to be there with you all,” Grande said. “We sincerely tried everything we could and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Please shower my incredible castmates with all of the love that I wish I could be showering you with and have the most beautiful celebration. And again, I am so, so very sorry.”
