Fears mount for sobbing Adele as she makes Vegas fortune without singing a note
Frustrated fans snap up £55 Adele wine, £11 socks and £7.50 tissues By
SHE cancelled her sold-out Las Vegas concerts at the last minute, leaving fans who had travelled and booked hotels devastated and out of pocket.
But Adele still managed to make a fortune without singing a single note as her official Weekends With Adele gift shop opened at Caesars Palace.
Disappointed fans descended on the store – which opened just before Adele had been scheduled to take to the stage at the famous hotel and casino – to buy official merchandise including £55 Adele wine, £33 T-shirts, £11 socks and £8.50 key rings.
There were also £20 necklaces with ‘Hello’, ‘Married’ and ‘Divorced’ motifs, as well as ‘Cry Your Heart Out’ tissues for £7.50, referring to a song from 30, her new album.
On Thursday a sobbing Adele, 33, cancelled all 24 Vegas gigs, for which tickets were being sold for up to £20,000. Blaming Covid and ‘delivery delays’, she explained: ‘It just ain’t ready.’
The news was broken by Adele herself as she tearfully FaceTimed fans on a phone being held by a member of her management team.
And fears began to be expressed about her wellbeing. A source close to the singer, whose hits include Someone Like You, Chasing Pavements and Hometown Glory, said last night that friends were becoming increasingly concerned, adding: ‘She used to look so happy. There are times recently she has looked terrified.
‘Her comeback happened so quickly. One minute she was living so far outside the limelight and then next she was being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.
‘Adele was in prime position for 2022 being a massive year. She was due to break more records. Now things seem up in the air. It is very sad to see her like this, she looks nothing like her usual self.’
Fans outside Caesars Palace theatre The Colosseum, which was surrounded by armed guards, agreed. One told The Mail on Sunday: ‘She was crying as she FaceTimed me. She had no make-up on and kept saying, “I’m so sorry. I love you”.
‘She looked pale and very emotional. A lot of fans are angry at her for cancelling less than 24 hours before the first concert, but a lot of us are worried, too. She doesn’t look right. She was crying and so were a lot of the fans she spoke to.’
One hotel worker said guards had been stationed outside because of fears ‘irate customers might cause trouble’. James Fox, 25, from Nashville, Tennessee, who spent around £2,000 on flights, tickets and hotel rooms, posted a critical message on social media. Adele replied, telling him to visit the store to enjoy items on display, including her Oscar for the theme song to the James Bond film Skyfall, two Grammy awards and the suit she wore for her recent Oprah Winfrey interview.
‘James, it’s Adele. If you’re still here at 6pm my store in the middle of the Caesars casino just outside the entrance to The Colosseum is opening up still,’ she wrote. ‘It’s not just a shop! There are fun and nostalgic things from my career.’
Fans who produced cancelled show tickets received a free Adele tote bag, T-shirt, key ring and four fridge magnets. The singer told one fan that she was ‘heartbroken’, adding: ‘I designed that store myself. I bled and f ****** sweated and cried into it. I’m letting myself be sad. I’m really sorry I’m not there.’
Some items including T-shirts ‘sold out in minutes’. A drag queen Adele lookalike serenaded those waiting at least an hour to enter.
Adele has vowed to re-schedule the shows, which took £50 million in advance sales and were set to make her £500,000 per weekend. But that may not happen until 2023.
Teresa Whittle, 42, from Detroit, was doubtful, saying. ‘We all know how fragile she can be. She clearly struggles... to the point it seems to cripple her. I hope she reschedules, but it would not be a surprise if her residency never happens.’
Adele’s appearance at next month’s Brit awards is now in doubt. She had been in talks to appear from Los Angeles but sources are now ‘deeply worried’ she will no longer appear. One told The MoS: ‘Would it be a good look for her to do the Brits after cancelling these gigs? Probably not.’
There has been speculation about the degree to which Covid contributed to the cancellation. Industry experts said it was unlikely that her crew getting the virus would have derailed the concerts. One Vegas show runner said: ‘We have understudies for everything. I’m not buying Covid as an excuse.’
Adele, who is due to play two concerts this summer in London’s Hyde Park, has made no secret of her fear of live performing and admitted having anxiety attacks.
‘A lot of fans are angry at her, but a lot are worried’