Ariana Grande might be portraying Glinda the Good in Universal’s Wicked later this year, but if you ask Cassandra Peterson, she’ll tell you the pop star was anything but cordial when the two met several years ago, which has prompted a quick apology from Grande. Recently recounting a story about the singer that was caught on video and went viral, Peterson, whom you may know best as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, told the tale of when Grande and her crew came to one of her shows a few years ago, requesting 21 tickets for herself, friends, and relatives. Peterson proceeded to take pictures and sign autographs for every single one of them backstage, but when it came time for Elvira to request a pic with Grande, she was told, “No, I don’t really do that.”
Peterson posted the story and video on her Instagram account yesterday (seen below), and the comments quickly devolved into name-calling and insinuations from both of their fanbases. Grande did pop in to apologize, saying she has a different memory of how their meeting took place. According to her, she left before the pics and autographs even got started, but admitted that she could be “misremembering the moment.” Check out her full apology below.
“I’m so disheartened to see this. I actually don’t even remember getting the chance to meet you because I had an anxiety attack and to my memory, left before the rest of my family (this was around 7 years ago and at the time I was really not great with being in public crowds or loud places)… but if I’m misremembering this moment, I sincerely apologize for offending you so.
“Thank you for being so nice to my mom, she told me how lovely you were (she might have different feelings about that now but I’ll talk to her… clearly, we all have our days!). Sending love always. You’ll always be our queen of Halloween!”
Wicked Is Already Generating Controversy Ahead of Its Release
Set to premiere on November 22, director John M. Chu’s Wicked is already the talk of the town for a variety of reasons, and not all of them are positive. The film will be split into two parts, with the first installment already having a runtime that’s longer than the stage play it’s based on, causing many to speculate that the theatrical version will be padding its length with additional material from the 1995 novel that wasn’t covered in the Broadway musical. While many fans have reacted with glee over the news, others haven’t been as kind, claiming the film could have told its story in one sitting, rather than dividing it into two entries one year apart for what they call an obvious cash grab.
Then there’s been the issues with fans taking the Wicked poster and using it for their own nefarious purposes, using AI to create obscene internet memes. That also prompted a response from Grande over the use of artificial intelligence in the film and music industry, which is an issue she calls “complicated.”
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Wicked Star Cynthia Erivo Reacts to ‘Offensive’ and ‘Deeply Hurtful’ Fan Poster Edits
A new Wicked poster pays homage to the Broadway promotional art, but fans have altered it in a way that Cynthia Erivo found quite offensive.
Still, despite the recent brouhaha between Elvira and Grande (and the filthy fan edits of the poster), Wicked is on track for a big November opening, with some projections estimating that it will earn as much as $150 million its first weekend. That would put it on par with films like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, both of which currently hold the record for best November debuts at $181 and $158 million respectively. Either way, it’s clear that Universal is going to have another hit on their hands this year, which can only spell good news for Wicked – Part 2, which is set to release on November 21, 2025.