LL Cool J Cancels ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Performance After Testing Positive for COVID-19

LL Cool J will no longer be performing at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022 after he tested positive for COVID-19, he announced Wednesday (Dec. 29).

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee was scheduled to take the stage in NYC’s Times Square shortly before midnight to perform his decades-spanning smashes.

“I know it’s disappointing to the millions of fans but my test came back positive for COVID, which means I’ll no longer be able to perform as scheduled at NYRE,” LL Cool J said in a statement to Billboard. “We were ready and I was really looking forward to ringing in 2022 in my hometown in a special way, but for now I wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year. The best is yet to come!”

Billboard can also confirm that Chlöe has also pulled out of her New Year’s Rockin’ Eve performance, where she would have performed her solo debut single “Have Mercy” in Times Square. Billboard has reached out to Chlöe’s reps for comment.

Despite LL Cool J and Chlöe dropping out of the NYC celebration, which will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest and special correspondent Liza Kosy, the beloved NYE televised celebration will feature more than 25 performances for its 50th anniversary. The biggest stars will take the stage in New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans and a new location, Puerto Rico, for New Year’s Rockin’ Eve‘s first-ever Spanish-language countdown.

Journey and Karol G are still set to perform in Times Square. Billy Porter, who will be hosting the Central Time Zone countdown from New Orleans, will pull double duty and deliver a new single while on the riverboat Louis Armstrong on the Mississippi River in the city’s historic French Quarter. Ciara will take over the Los Angeles party for a fifth year, with the help of DJ D-Nice and performers AJR and Daisy the Great, Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker, Big Boi and Sleepy Brown, Don Omar, French Montana, Macklemore with Ryan Lewis and Windset, Mae Muller, Maneskin, Masked Wolf, OneRepublic, Polo G and Walker Hayes. And like Porter, Daddy Yankee will both host the Spanish-language countdown in San Juan and give a special hometown performance.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022 will still take place on Friday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest is produced by MRC Live & Alternative, which is owned by MRC. MRC and Penske Media are co-parent companies of Billboard.