Ariana Grande has apologized to actress Cassandra Peterson, known for her iconic role as “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark,” after Peterson claimed the singer ignored her during a meet-and-greet event.
Peterson recently shared in a panel discussion that Grande had requested tickets for her and her family to attend one of her stage shows.
The actress said she signed autographs and took photos with Grande’s friends and relatives but claimed the singer declined to pose for a picture in return and left before the show started.
In response, Ariana Grande took to Instagram to address the situation, expressing her disappointment over the misunderstanding.
She explained that she likely left early due to an anxiety attack and said she had no memory of meeting Peterson.
Grande noted that the event happened around seven years ago, shortly after her Manchester concert was targeted in a terror attack, which had left her feeling uncomfortable in crowded spaces.
“If I’m misremembering this moment, I sincerely apologize for offending you,” Grande wrote in her comment. She thanked Peterson for being kind to her mother, who had shared positive feedback about the interaction. Grande concluded her message by sending love and calling Peterson the “queen of Halloween.”
The incident gained traction after a video of Peterson discussing the encounter went viral, with someone on the panel joking that Grande was “playing the wrong witch,” referencing her upcoming role as Glinda in the Wicked movie adaptation.
Fan edits of the Wicked movie poster, created using AI, have also sparked controversy, with some fans turning images of Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo into an animation of them fighting, while others removed Erivo’s eyes in edited versions. Both stars have criticized the fan-made content, with Erivo calling it degrading and Grande agreeing that the edits had gone “too far.”