Pete Davidson has condemned the online criticism of his former fiancée Ariana Grande’s appearance, calling the abuse unfair and saying he does not understand it. The comments come after speculation about Grande’s slender figure intensified around the release of her “Petal” music video; she said in August that she would step away from public life for an unspecified period.

Davidson and Grande dated and became engaged in 2018, splitting later that year, shortly after the death of Grande’s former partner Mac Miller. Davidson said Grande is strong and will cope, and described her as talented; he added that they are on good terms but do not keep in touch. Grande later channelled the difficult period into *Thank U, Next*, whose title track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks.