Glinda’s Unexpected Detour: Ariana Grande Tests Positive for COVID, Cancels Final ‘Wicked: For Good’ Press Push
Ariana Grande Contracts COVID-19, Halting ‘Wicked: For Good’ Press Tour in Final Days
NEW YORK — Pop icon and burgeoning film star Ariana Grande has been forced to abruptly cancel the final critical leg of the Wicked: For Good press tour after testing positive for COVID-19. The diagnosis, which Grande revealed to fans via an Instagram story on Thursday, November 20, 2025, marks the latest, and perhaps most significant, hurdle in what has already been a tumultuous and challenging global promotional blitz for the highly anticipated film sequel.
Grande, 32, who plays Glinda in the two-part film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical, shared a photo from her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with a now-ironic caption: “moments before Covid.” Her positive test comes just as the movie, which is expected to deliver one of the year’s biggest box office openings, prepares for its theatrical release. The singer-actress is reportedly missing key promotional slots, including a taped appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show and several planned Q&A panels crucial for the film’s final-day rollout.
The Latest Setback in a Global Gauntlet
Ariana Grande’s health news caps a dramatic two-week, multi-continental press tour that took her and co-star Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) through São Paulo, Paris, London, Singapore, and New York. The promotional circuit, designed to generate maximum hype for the final installment of the Wicked saga, has been anything but smooth.
Days before Grande’s diagnosis, her co-star Cynthia Erivo also experienced a major health setback, losing her voice just ahead of the New York premiere. In a powerful display of solidarity, Grande and Erivo together chose to skip red carpet interviews at the Lincoln Center event on November 17, underscoring the physical strain the demanding schedule had put on the leading ladies.
This week of health challenges is simply the culmination of a string of incidents that have plagued the tour since it launched in early November. Earlier this month, Grande was unable to attend the Brazilian premiere of Wicked: For Good due to flight issues, an incident that prompted her to take to social media to implore disappointed fans not to “wish danger” on her and her team. The logistical nightmare was quickly followed by a security breach at the Singapore premiere, where a man jumped a barricade and attempted to grab Grande on the yellow carpet. Thankfully, Erivo intervened immediately, and the man was swiftly restrained and later sentenced to jail for being a public nuisance.
History Repeating Itself: A Wicked Production Challenge
For fans and industry insiders, the irony of the current situation is palpable. Both Grande and Erivo contracted COVID-19 during the filming of the first Wicked movie, Wicked: Part One, temporarily delaying production. Erivo was ill before shooting the pivotal “Defying Gravity” sequence, and Grande tested positive before filming the iconic song “Popular.” Their repeated health setbacks highlight the persistent reality of the ongoing pandemic and the immense physical toll of major Hollywood productions and their subsequent global press requirements. The demanding travel schedule, coupled with the need for constant public interaction, creates a high-risk environment that even major celebrities cannot fully circumvent.
The Bigger Picture: Is Glinda Saying Goodbye to Touring?
While Grande’s immediate focus is recovery and the successful launch of Wicked: For Good, her COVID diagnosis provides a moment of reflection on a much larger narrative she recently unveiled about her career. In a major announcement just days before her diagnosis, Grande signaled a profound shift in her professional life.
In an interview on the “Good Hang With Amy Poehler” podcast, Grande referred to her upcoming 2026 Eternal Sunshine Tour as her “one last hurrah” before she steps back from touring indefinitely. The pop star, who is only 32, explained that she believes the 10-city, scaled-down tour might be her final major concert series “for a long, long, long, long time” as she fully pivots her career toward acting.
“I’m very excited to do this small tour, but I think it might not happen again for a long, long, long, long time,” Grande told Poehler. “So I’m going to give it my all and it’s going to be beautiful and I think that’s why I’m doing it, because it’s like, one last hurrah.”
This revelation confirms what many fans and critics have observed since the star landed the coveted role of Glinda the Good Witch: her focus has decisively shifted. After spending years fully immersed in the Wicked movies, she has immediately moved onto other major film projects, including the upcoming comedy Focker In-Law alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, a sequel in the Meet the Parents franchise. She has also joined the cast of the animated musical adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
This transition doesn’t mean an abandonment of music entirely—Grande has previously slammed such rumors, stating that music “is and has always been my lifeline” and reassuring fans that she is “working on a plan to sing for you all next year.” However, the deliberate reduction in the scale of the Eternal Sunshine tour, which is dramatically smaller than her 97-show 2019 world tour, solidifies the fact that her current priority is becoming a powerhouse actress in Hollywood.
What This Means for ‘Wicked’ and the Fans
While the cancellation of the final press stops is undoubtedly a blow to Universal’s final push for Wicked: For Good, the buzz surrounding the movie remains immense. The film is already drawing critical praise, and the anticipation for the conclusion of Elphaba and Glinda’s story is at an all-time high. The health setback, ironically, may only serve to further humanize the star, showcasing the challenges of a relentless promotional schedule and drawing a wave of supportive messages from fans around the globe who wish her a speedy recovery.
For now, the final Wicked promotional torch has been passed entirely to Erivo, who is set to appear alone on talk shows and events to carry the momentum to the finish line. As Glinda navigates her unexpected detour into isolation, the entertainment world eagerly awaits her return to the spotlight, whether it be on a film set, a world tour stage, or, most immediately, the big screen. The final chapter of Wicked promises to be spectacular, and it will be the defining moment that officially cements Ariana Grande’s transition from pop princess to a formidable Oscar-nominated Hollywood lead.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: When did Ariana Grande test positive for COVID-19?
Ariana Grande announced on her Instagram story on Thursday, November 20, 2025, that she had tested positive for COVID-19, forcing her to immediately cancel her remaining promotional appearances for Wicked: For Good.
Q2: What Wicked promotional events has Ariana Grande had to cancel?
Due to the diagnosis, Grande has canceled her appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show as well as several other crucial Q&A panels and interviews tied to the film’s final rollout. This comes after a press tour that was already marked by her and co-star Cynthia Erivo skipping red carpet interviews at the New York premiere due to Erivo’s illness.
Q3: Is Ariana Grande quitting the music industry to focus on acting?
Ariana Grande has stated that she is not quitting music, calling the rumors “very silly,” and insisting that music remains her “lifeline.” However, she recently revealed that her 2026 Eternal Sunshine Tour will likely be her “one last hurrah” before she steps back from touring for an extended, indefinite period to focus heavily on her burgeoning acting career, which includes Wicked: For Good and the upcoming film Focker In-Law.
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