Content Warning: This post discusses body image.
Ariana Grande's well-being has been a talking point for years now, with concern reaching fever pitch after she kicked off her Eternal Sunshine tour back in June. For context, Ariana has repeatedly stated that she is healthy, and her team has not implied otherwise.
Footage of Ariana performing on the tour — and in her newly released music video for "petal," the lead single from her new album of the same name — has sparked major concern over her shrinking frame, and outfits that appear to accentuate it.
And over the weekend, as concern for her health reached new heights, Ariana's reps commented on the situation and confirmed that she will take a break from the spotlight once her tour wraps up next month.
"Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour," a member of the singer's team told People on Sunday. "She 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. This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much," the rep continued.
In the same People report, a source close to Ari also pushed back against conversations about her well-being and performance level during the live concerts, saying that she puts on "a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved." "She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night," they insisted.
The tone of the rep's statement did not sit well with everyone, and they've been accused of reducing the genuine concern for Ariana's health to mere "public scrutiny."
And now, as she returned to the stage in Chicago on Monday night, the 33-year-old took a moment to address the news of her forthcoming break, clarifying that it was something that she and her team planned "quietly, a long time ago."
"Sometimes when a story comes out that’s not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion. So I just wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight because I love you so much. The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing," she told the crowd. "It is something that I had decided to plan that I had quietly made a long time ago, and it’s a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place."
She didn't explicitly address concerns about her health, but she did say that "many things can be true at the same time."
"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 fuck opposite. Honestly, this is not what that is," she said, to cheers from the audience. "And I just want to be very, very clear: Multiple things can be true at the same time. Yes, boundaries, they 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 and creative life."
Ariana concluded by saying that "no matter what noises exist out there," nothing will ever "distort [her] reality" or change the love she shares with her fans. "The rest of that shit is not mine to carry, so I don’t carry it," she added. "I need to get out here and differentiate that from my truth for you all because I love you and this tour has been the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life."
As well as the statement from her rep, it was also announced on Sunday that Ariana would no longer be appearing in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George, in which she was set to star opposite her Wicked costar, Jonathan Bailey.
In a statement posted on X, producers confirmed that her role will be recast and that the show will open in summer 2027 as planned. "We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support," the confirmation read. "We wish her nothing but the best."
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