The drama of Ariana Grande's missed Wicked premiere, explained

Fans around the world can't wait to see Wicked: For Good, but some are going too far in demanding that stars of the movie attend the premieres.

Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda in the upcoming sequel, issued a statement on social media asking fans not to "wish danger on" her and her team after she had to cancel a scheduled appearance at the world premiere of Wicked: For Good in Brazil.

Here's everything that went down.

Why was Ariana Grande flying to Brazil?

Ariana Grande was set to fly to São Paolo, Brazil, for the world premiere of her new movie, Wicked: For Good. In the film, she plays Glinda, opposite Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, and Michelle Yeoh also reprise their roles. The movie premiered in Brazil on Tuesday, November 4 and will be released in the United States on November 21.

Why did Ariana Grande miss the 'Wicked: For Good' premiere?

Unfortunately for Grande and for fans, the actress was forced to miss the world premiere of Wicked: For Good due to plane maintenance issues and flight delays.

She shared a message on her Instagram Stories Tuesday morning saying she was "beyond devastated" to miss the premiere.

"A few hours ago, my team and I had to deplane our flight, as they had to do maintenance on the plane due to a safety issue, and it will not be taking off until 11 a.m. tomorrow, which means that I would not be making it in time for the Wicked: For Good São Paolo premiere," she wrote.

The Oscar nominee said that her team and Universal "tried every single thing possible" to make it so she could attend the premiere, but nothing was available.

"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," she said. "Even in attempting a private option, there is a permit necessary in order to fly from here that takes time to attain."

Grande said that she was "heartbroken" to miss the premiere, and asked fans to "shower my incredible castmates with all of the love that I wish I could be showering you with and have the most beautiful celebration."

What did Brazilian fans say about Ariana Grande missing the 'Wicked: For Good' premiere?

One Brazilian fan account, @infoari on X, wrote that Grande missing the premiere wasn't "just your team's failure. This is your disrespect."

"Act like the star you are. Hire a team that isn't incompetent. And never take for granted the most passionate fanbase you've ever had," it continued. "Do better."

"'Nobody feels worse than her right now' i know someone who feels worse: all the people who spent money and time to come to são paulo just to see her because (shocking) she has been to every single premiere until the one in Brazil," added @AGDailyStreams.

What did Ariana Grande say to Brazilian fans?

After the negative feedback from some Brazilian fans, Grande shared a follow-up message on her Instagram Stories.

"Please don't wish danger on us. We did everything we could, and I promise you no one is more upset than I am. I promise no matter how upset or disappointed you are, please, please do not wish danger on us or assume that we didn’t try," she wrote. "There was no other time for me to leave and these plans have been booked for months. I wrapped another film on the 31st and I worked all day the 1st and the 2nd as well, just the same as Jonny, Cyn and Jon have been working, we all were scheduled to leave the same day. It just so happened that this plane had a safety problem and I have explained why finding another option was impossible. I have been looking forward to this moment for a year, so please know how disappointed i am. Sending lots of love to you all. I hope it’s a beautiful and safe night. I love Brazil, I always have, I always will."