RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Topline Ariana Grande acknowledged her decision to step back from the public eye onstage in Chicago Monday night, telling fans her choice, which her representatives previously credited to “endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” was not “reactive or impulsive” and that "boundaries" need to be set.
Grande made a brief speech during her Chicago concert, her first appearance since she announced over the weekend she would take a break once her tour wraps up, acknowledging the public reaction to her announcement was “a little blown out of proportion.”
Grande said she “quietly” made a plan to take a break “a long time ago,” adding she heard her fans were “worried that negativity was ruining things for me,” a possible reference to a reignited internet debate over Grande’s health and appearance.
The singer said no matter “what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or elaborate to me” than her relationship to her fans.
Grande said it is both true that boundaries “need to be set” and she can need a break while acknowledging she is going through the “greatest experience of my professional and creative life.”
Grande’s speech came days after her representatives told People on Sunday she will take a “step back from visibility” after her tour concludes next month, citing “endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” also dropping out of an upcoming London production of “Sunday in the Park With George.”
Grande has two more shows in Chicago this week before she performs a string of ten concerts in London, ending the tour on Sept. 1.
Grande’s representatives told People on Sunday the singer-actress “looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny.” The representative said the “tour has been a beautiful experience for her,” adding Grande “loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.” After People reported Grande’s statement, the official X account for the London revival of “Sunday in the Park With George," in which Grande was set to star, confirmed she dropped out of the production. “We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support,” the post says.
Grande’s representatives did not offer more specifics about the public scrutiny she faces, nor did “Sunday in the Park With George” offer a reason for her departure. But fans and commentators online have speculated the scrutiny Grande referred to has to do with her appearance and apparent weight loss, which has fueled rampant online debate in recent years. Over the weekend, discussion about Grande’s appearance reignited on social media after she released the music video for “Petal.” The top comment on the “Petal” video, liked more than 62,000 times on YouTube , says: “It’s not about wanting the old Ariana back. It’s about wanting her to be healthy.” Some celebrities also expressed concern. Multiple tabloid outlets reported actress Jameela Jamil called Grande’s appearance “dangerous” in an Instagram comment that appears to be deleted, calling out her team for allegedly not intervening. In a post on X, conservative commentator Meghan McCain called Grande’s appearance “very, VERY sad and she clearly needs help immediately.” Grande has previously addressed critics of her appearance and weight, saying in a 2023 TikTok post “we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies no matter what.” Grande said her body from years prior was the “unhealthiest version of my body,” noting she was on antidepressants and drinking alcohol at the time. Other aspects of Grande’s personal life have been frequent subjects of discussion in tabloids and on social media, including her relationship to and breakup from “Wicked” actor Ethan Slater, as well as speculation that her speaking voice has changed.
Grande’s decision to step back from visibility comes days after she released a new album, “Petal,” which critics have said appears to address her dissatisfaction with fame and scrutiny. Some critics have suggested the album’s lead single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” may actually be about obsessive fans rather than a lover. Billboard’s critic said the album is “pretty much a manicured middle finger aimed directly at the public,” while Pitchfork noted the album contains lines like, “All that sh-t talk keeps me well-fed.”
Ariana Grande to Step Away From Public Life After Tour Ends (New York Times)
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