Adele Shared the ‘Worst Moment' of Her Career So Far—and What It Taught Her: ‘It Was Devastating'

We all hit low points in our career — but when was the last time a decision you made at work angered thousands of people and went viral on Twitter? 

Adele can recall the exact moment she hit professional rock bottom: It was January 20, when she announced that she was canceling her Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, which was set to begin the next evening. 

"It was the worst moment in my career, by far," the Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter said in a candid interview for Elle's October 2022 issue. "By far. I was so excited about those shows. It was devastating."

In December, Billboard reported that Adele stood to earn about $2 million for each of her shows in Las Vegas. Her current net worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth, is over $200 million, bolstered by the success of her latest album, "30," which became the fastest-selling album in the U.S. last year shortly after it was released in November 2021.

The decision sparked immediate backlash from fans online, some sharing that they had spent upwards of $1,200 on airfare, hotel accommodations and tickets. 

"I know for some of you it was a horrible decision on my part, and I will always be sorry for that, but I promise you it was the right one," Adele, 34, wrote in a statement on her website. 

The powerhouse vocalist told Elle that she had been awake for more than 30 hours straight before announcing the cancellation, rehearsing through production delays and a staff shortage caused by Covid-19. 

During one of her final dress rehearsals, as she sang to the mostly empty, 4,300-plus-seat Colosseum, she suddenly got a sinking feeling in her gut. 

"There was just no soul in it," she said of the show, titled "Weekends With Adele." "It was very disconnected from me and my band, and it lacked intimacy … and maybe I tried too hard to give it those things in such a controlled environment."

The first few months following the cancellation were "really, really hard," she told the magazine. "I was embarrassed." 

But the pitfall Adele found herself in had a silver lining: "It actually made my confidence in myself grow, because it was a very brave thing to do," she said. "And I don't think many people would have done what I did. I'm very proud of myself for standing by my artistic needs."

She recently announced that her residency would start on Nov. 18 and run until March 25, 2023, and in the announcement, noted that people who had previously bought tickets or been on the waitlist for the residency's initial dates would have priority in new ticket sales.

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