Ariana Grande Addresses Elvira’s Claim She Was Rude at Meet and Greet

Ariana Grande apologized after Cassandra Peterson a.k.a Elvira, claimed she had a negative experience with the Wicked star years prior.

Peterson, 73, named Grande, 31, as one of her worst celebrity interactions during a Q&A at Knott’s Scary Farm in Buena Park, California on Sunday, October 20, per social media footage found online. The horror icon alleged that Grande had refused to take a photo with her after posing with the “Thank U Next” singers friends and family.

“Then I say to her, ‘Can we take a photo together?’ and she goes, ‘No, I don’t really do that,’” said Peterson. “And then she left before my show started. All of her relatives stayed and she took off.”

Peterson shared an article detailing the encounter via Instagram after the event, which prompted Grande to respond in the comments section on Monday, October 21.

“I’m so disheartened to see this,” Grande wrote. “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)…”

She continued, “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!”

While neither Peterson nor Grande specified when their Meet and Greet occurred, Grande has been open about her struggles with anxiety and depression following the 2017 Manchester bombing at one of her concerts, which killed 22 people and injured hundreds more.

In August 2019, she canceled a meet and greet in Antwerp, Belgium, due to her panic attacks, saying her depression and anxiety “were at an all time high lately.”

“After a handful of panic attacks, I feel like the wisest decision would be to not do soundcheck party or m&g today and preserve my energy for the show,” she shared via Instagram at the time. “I wish I had control over these attacks but as anybody with anxiety or depression understands, sometimes you can only operate on its terms and not your own.”