Cynthia Eviro and Ariana Grande dodge interviews for the Wicked: For Good premiere in New York

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande did not participate in interviews at the New York City premiere of Wicked: For Good on November 17, 2025. The news was shared with the media by Universal representatives hours ahead of the setting out of the red carpet on Monday night at Lincoln Center.

A statement from the studio reads:

“Cynthia is not feeling well and has lost her voice, therefore she and Ariana will not be doing interviews this evening.”

While Erivo was in recovery, Grande reportedly chose to skip interviews as a show of support for her co-star, though both appeared for photos on the red carpet. Other cast members, including Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Colman Domingo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and director Jon M. Chu, were present at the event. 

This marked yet another challenge in the film’s global promotional tour. Earlier in November, Grande missed the São Paulo, Brazil, premiere because of plane safety issues, and during the Singapore premiere, she was grabbed by a man who breached the barricades before  Erivo intervened. The man was later sentenced to nine days in jail.

Everything we know about Wicked: For Good

Wicked: For Good, the direct sequel to the 2024 film Wicked, is set to be released in theaters across the United States on Friday, November 21, 2025. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have been traveling together across the globe for its promotion, with their recent stops ahead of the NYC premiere including Paris, London, and the Governors Awards in Los Angeles, California. 

Their characters, Elphaba and Glinda, remain central to the story, with the sequel concluding the witches’ origin tale, which began in Wicked: Part One. The upcoming film introduces notable changes from the Broadway musical, including two new Stephen Schwartz songs: “No Place Like Home” performed by Erivo, and “The Girl in the Bubble” sung by Grande.

The narrative picks right after the events of Wicked, with Elphaba now vilified as the Wicked Witch of the West, and an enemy of Oz by the Wizard (played by Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (portrayed by Michelle Yeoh).

While living in exile within the Ozian forest, she continues the fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals, and desperately attempts to bring the truth of the Wizard to light. Meanwhile, Glinda embraces her new role as Oz’s shining symbol of Goodness, residing in Emerald City and assuring the public that they are in good hands, under Madame Morrible’s direction. 

The sequel is expected to follow the massive success of the first Wicked film, which earned over $746 million worldwide and received 10 Oscar nominations, including acting nods for both Grande and Erivo.

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