Ariana Grande misses the ‘Wicked: For Good’ Brazil premiere after a flight safety issue grounded her plane, saying she’s “heartbroken” and tried every option.
Ariana Grande was unable to attend the world premiere of Wicked: For Good in São Paulo, Brazil, after her flight was unexpectedly grounded due to a last-minute safety issue.
The singer and actress, who stars as Glinda in the highly anticipated sequel, shared an emotional message with fans on Instagram explaining the situation and expressing her heartbreak.
Grande revealed that she and her team were forced to deplane just hours before departure when maintenance was required on the aircraft. The flight was delayed until 1 a.m. the next day, making it impossible for her to arrive in time for the premiere. “Brazil, I can’t believe this is happening and I am beyond devastated,” she wrote, adding that she had looked forward to the moment for an entire year.
According to Grande, her team and Universal Studios made every effort to find another way for her to get to Brazil.
She said they searched for all possible alternatives — from commercial flights and connections to private jet options — but none were available in time. She also noted that private travel required a permit that couldn’t be secured on such short notice. “We sincerely tried everything we could,” she said. “Absolutely nothing was available or possible.”
The São Paulo premiere would have marked Grande’s first in-person appearance in Brazil in several years, making the disappointment even more personal. The singer apologized to her fans and encouraged them to “shower” her co-stars, including Cynthia Erivo and director Jon M. Chu, with the love she had hoped to share in person.
In a follow-up post, Grande addressed negative reactions from some fans, urging them not to assume she didn’t try hard enough or to direct harmful messages toward her team.
She emphasized that her schedule had been tightly packed, explaining that she had just wrapped another film on Oct. 31 and worked through Nov. 1 and 2. “Please don’t wish danger on us,” she said. “No one is more upset than I am.”
The São Paulo premiere kicks off the film’s global promotional tour, with upcoming events scheduled in Paris on Nov. 7, London on Nov. 10, and Singapore on Nov. 13. Wicked: For Good follows the success of the 2024 Wicked film, which was adapted from the first act of the Broadway musical and earned 10 Oscar nominations.
Despite the setback, Grande closed her message with love for her Brazilian fans, writing, “I love Brazil, I always have, I always will.”
