Ariana Grande's quest for the career All-Star Game Grand Slam has been hampered as sources indicate the performer's free concert ahead of this weekend's MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati has been cancelled. No confirmation has been given whether the decision was passed down by the pop star's camp of if Major League Baseball made the decision...either way, there's no doubt that the now-viral "donut incident" is the cause.
Video was released by a Los Angeles bakery that showed Grande behaving badly in a number of ways while ordering pastries. First, she and one of her background dancers licked display donuts while the clerk had their back turned, completing the order. When the employee returned with her order, she asked "what the f*ck is this" and then, naturally, proceeded to proclaim that she hated both Americans and America itself.
As we mentioned, there hasn't been any confirmation about who pulled the plug or why. But there are two pretty solid reasons why the donut video pretty much ends Grande's association with the national pastime. For one, the federal government has an actual stake in professional baseball (unlike other sports leagues, which it merely meddles with for antitrust purposes). Secondly, Cincinnati is among the most politically conservative cities to host a professional team, and its fans won't take too kindly to someone who dissed America that week.
At the moment, no other act has been suggested as a replacement, and booking one before Saturday will be a tough task. Although the concert was free, tickets "sold out" in the sense that all were claimed by eager fans as soon as they became available. A fireworks show was scheduled to follow the event.
Grande had a less dramatic relationship with the NBA All-Star Game during February, when she performed the halftime show at this year's event, played at Madison Square Garden in New York.
