Ariana Grande denies negativity drove her decision to step back
Developing story first seen 4 hours ago
Ariana Grande has spoken publicly for the first time since her team confirmed she will step back from public visibility once her current tour ends, telling a Chicago audience on Monday that the decision was "not reactive or impulsive" but one she had "decided to plan… quietly, a long time ago." Performing at the United Center, the singer said she wanted to address the news directly after hearing fans worried that negativity was driving the move, insisting instead that "boundaries need to be set" and that everyone needs a break sometimes.
Her representative had earlier told People magazine that Grande was taking a "well-earned break" following "endless, ongoing public scrutiny" of her appearance and health. Her Eternal Sunshine Tour concludes on 1 September after a 10-night London run beginning 15 August, which she described as one of the most healing experiences of her life. The break also means she will no longer appear in a planned Barbican production of Sunday in the Park with George opposite her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey, with the venue saying it hopes to welcome her "one day when the time is right."
- Grande says her step-back from public life was long-planned, not a reaction
- Told Chicago tour crowd she needed to set boundaries after scrutiny
- Move means she exits Barbican's Sunday in the Park with George
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Ariana Grande is a US pop singer and actress who rose to fame through music and TV before starring as Glinda in the 2024 film Wicked. She has spent much of the past couple of years in the public eye, touring behind her album Eternal Sunshine and facing persistent tabloid and social media scrutiny over her physical appearance, weight and health, particularly during and after the Wicked press cycle.
Her management recently confirmed she plans to step back from public life once her current tour finishes, a decision her representative linked to this ongoing scrutiny. The tour itself, called the Eternal Sunshine Tour, wraps up on 1 September following a run of shows in London. The planned pause would also affect other commitments, including a stage production in London that would have reunited her with her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
The story matters partly because it touches on wider conversations about celebrity, body image and the pressures of fame, and partly because of genuine public interest in one of pop's biggest stars withdrawing from view. Grande's own comments are significant because they are her first direct, on-the-record response to how her decision has been reported and interpreted.
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Originally published by BBC Entertainment as “Ariana Grande says decision to step back ‘was not reactive or impulsive’”.