Cassandra Peterson, a.k.a. Elvira, hopes Ariana Grande has learned a lesson after the horror comedy icon had to call the singer out for a bit of wicked behavior earlier this year.
“What’s the word? You know, where you do something, but you really have other thoughts in mind? Like, ‘Thank you, not really, thank you,'” Peterson tells Entertainment Weekly, trying to describe her reaction to Grande’s apology that didn’t quite hit the mark for her, noting a line about how “her mom used to really like me, but maybe not now.”
For those who don’t recall, the Mistress of the Dark previously accused the Wicked star of requesting to get 20 guests into an Elvira show for free. “I take a picture with every single one of them, I sign autographs for every single one of them. Then I say to her, ‘Can we take a photo together?’ And she goes, ‘No, I don’t really do that,'” Peterson said in a video she reposted on Instagram.
Grande commented on the post at the time (it appears to be since-deleted), writing: “so disheartened to see this. 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)… 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!)”
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Peterson — currently promoting her spooky new cookbook, Elvira’s Cookbook From Hell — confirms that she and the “Thank U, Next” singer have not been in touch since the Instagram comment.
“After that response from her, no, I just let the whole thing drop,” she tells EW. “I told a story that really happened. She did it. I wasn’t making it up. It was very offensive. I had all the celebrities who I had ever come to my show — and there was a ton — were always gracious and kind, and, um, she was not. I’m sorry to say that. It’s disappointing when you hear things like that, and learn things like that. It’s sad. But, oh well.”
Peterson, who has worked in the entertainment industry since the 1970s, says she’s optimistic that Grande will grow from the experience. “I think when you’re young and you’re in show business — well, if you last in show business for any amount of time and are still famous — you do learn a lot of lessons along the way, and you get a little more humble,” she muses. “So hopefully that will happen with her.”
EW has reached out to Grande for comment.
Courtesy of Grand Central Publishing
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Her new book includes deliciously dark recipes like Dead Man’s Corpse Loaf, Barbecued “Bat” Wings, Swamp Monster Frittata, and Spook-ghetti and Eyeballs. There are also instructions for plenty of creepy cocktails and even craft projects for constructing kooky table decor to match.
“I used to call myself the Martha Stewart of the Macabre, and I always thought, wouldn’t it be funny to do a kind of cooking-lifestyle book like Martha Stewart?” she tells EW. “She was really my inspiration. I’m a big fan of hers.”
Elvira’s Cookbook From Hell is available now at all major book retailers.
