LL Cool J Canceled New Year’s Eve performance on ABC, signed a contract for COVID

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest reduce two performers, with LL Cool J and singer-actor Chlöe both canceled plans to appear on the ABC special.

LL Cool J, who has been set to perform some of his most popular songs live from New York City’s Times Square, confirmed to our sister site Diversity that a positive COVID-19 test led to him leaving the squad, sharing: “I know it’s disappointing for millions of fans but my test came back positive for COVID, which That means I won’t be able to perform as scheduled New Year’s Eve of New Year’s Eve. We are ready and I am really looking forward to ringing in 2022 in my hometown in a special way, but for now I would like to wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year. The best is yet to come! ”

Meanwhile, Chlöe is scheduled to perform her new single, “Have Mercy.”

New Year’s Eve of New Year’s Eve will still continue with hosts Seacrest and Liza Koshy (from Times Square), Posture‘s Billy Porter (from New Orleans) and singer Ciara (from Los Angeles). Other performers on the list include Karol G, Journey, AJR and duo Daisy The Great, Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker, Big Boi with Sleepy Brown, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis with singers Windser, OneRepublic, Walker Hayes and Daddy Yankee, among others.

Amid rising COVID cases due to the fast-spreading variant of Omicron, Fox previously announced in December that it is scrapping plans for New Year’s Eve Toast & Toast special, organized by Community graduate Joel McHale and Ken Jeong. At press time, Fox remains the only network to confirm it has canceled its New Year’s Eve live broadcast; CBS’ New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash, CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live and NBC’s Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party is still going on. TVLine has contacted representatives from all three networks about potential programming changes.