Ariana Grande speaks out on stepping back from public eye after tour ends
Pop star Ariana Grande is speaking out following public scrutiny about her appearance and her decision to step away from the public eye after her current tour wraps up.
Grande shared a message to audience members at her Chicago concert at the United Center Monday night, which fans then shared on social media. Over the weekend, Grande said she would step back from appearances and her starring role in the West End show "Sunday in the Park with George" after "The Eternal Sunshine Tour."
"The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing," Grande said. "It is something that I had decided. It's a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago and it was a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place."
A representative for Grande confirmed to ABC News that the singer "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 33-year-old has been the subject of renewed public discussion about her health and physical appearance following the release of the music video for her latest single, "Petal." Grande insisted to fans her decision wasn't based on negative feedback.
"I heard that my fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me, but I just have to say, that could not be more the opposite," Grande said, to a loud cheer by fans.
In 2023, Grande pushed back on comments about her body while filming the hit movie, "Wicked."
"I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies," Grande said in a TikTok post at the time.
With her world tour close to wrapping up, Grande will head to London next and said she's also drawing boundaries where needed.
"Boundaries need to be set, human beings can need a break sometimes, and also, this can be, and will continue to be, the greatest experience of my professional career and life," she said.
