Lauryn Hill Fails to Show Up for Surprise GRAMMY Performance With The Weeknd

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Rihannawasn't the only planned GRAMMYs performer to be scrapped at the last minute.


Lauryn Hill
was scheduled to take the stage with The Weeknd during Monday's live telecast, but the singer failed to make it for the actual performance.

"Lauryn Hill was at rehearsals with The Weeknd, but failed to show up on time for the performance," a rep for the Recording Academy told ET in a statement.

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Hill was a surprise performer at the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards and was supposed to sing with The Weeknd, who ended up performing a medley of his hits, "In the Night" and "Can't Feel My Face."

"The GRAMMYs announced a performance by Ms. Lauryn Hill prematurely and without approval," Hill's rep said in a statement to ET, though the GRAMMYs never officially revealed Hill as a performer. "Ms. Hill had concerts all weekend, leaving no time to prepare and was uncertain she would even be able to make it to L.A. in time to rehearse for the event."

"Any performance that could have happened was never confirmed and should not have been advertised as such," the statement continues. "Ms. Hill was invited to do a collaboration with an artist she appreciates. The performance was intended to be a surprise and unfortunately due to its last-minute nature, was unable to come to fruition."

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Backstage at the GRAMMYs, Recording Academy president Neil Portnow further explained Hill's absence.

"Lauryn Hill was someone that The Weeknd felt would be great to collaborate with and reached out to her and had those conversations and wanted to bring that performance forward," Portnow said. "We actually had some rehearsals off-site that she did not attend but we had dress rehearsal this morning in Staples on that stage, which she did attend."

"When it came to actual show time, we were told that she was late -- maybe a minute, three minutes out, seven minutes out. She didn't make the performance ... that's the truth. We hate when that happens," he continued. "I'm not accountable for why that happens. I know when I have to be some place some place on time, I figure out how to do that. Again, unfortunate that she didn't show up to do that. Again, great credit to The Weeknd ... but with all best intentions, sometimes things change and he killed it."

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Though we'll never know what a Lauryn Hill and The Weeknd collaboration would have looked and sounded like, it seems The Weeknd -- who will celebrate his 26th birthday on Tuesday -- has already moved on. 

The R&B singer shared this celebratory tweet following the GRAMMYs, where he won two awards: Best Urban Contemporary Album (for Beauty Behind the Madness) and Best Song (for "Earned It").

"Unbelievable night," he tweeted. "Thank you to everyone that was a part of this experience. XO."

In December, The Weeknd debuted his NSFW and super bloody music video for "In the Night," starring his girlfriend Bella Hadid as a stripper assassin. Hit play on the video below!