Ariana Grande paused her concert in Chicago on Monday night to address weeks of public concern over her health and appearance, following her representatives' announcement that she would step back from public visibility once her current tour ends. The speech came days after the release of her new album "petal," which had been largely overshadowed by fan and media worry about her noticeably thin appearance, a concern that has grown since her Eternal Sunshine tour began and intensified after the release of the "petal" video.

Grande's team told People she looks forward to finishing the tour "healthily and happily" before taking "a much-deserved break" from public-facing work, and she has withdrawn from a planned West End revival of Sondheim's "Sundays In The Park With George" next year. Her speech, read from her phone during a three-night run at the United Center, did not directly mention her health but insisted the decision to step back was long-planned and "not reactive or impulsive," stressing that "nothing has been ruined." The tour has two more North American dates before moving to ten shows at London's O2 Arena, concluding on 1 September.