Ariana Grande shed light on her decision to step away from the public.
The 33-year-old paused her performance during her Eternal Sunshine Tour at the United Center in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 3, to address fans directly.
“Is it OK if we get a little real tonight? Is that OK?” Grande said, according to clips posted across social media. The Grammy-winning artist told fans she wanted to “clear the air about a few things.”
“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,” Grande said.
“The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It was something that I have decided. A plan that I had quietly made a long time ago. It was a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place. And I want you to know that many things can be true at the same time,” she continued.
The announcement in question came from her representative, who told People that Grande will be “taking a step back from visibility” after the Eternal Sunshine tour ends on September 1.
“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,” the representative said.
Grande continued to speak to fans about the mounting speculation over her appearance and personal life, touching upon the “noise” and “negativity.”
“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 far opposite. This is not what that is. And I just want to be very, very clear: multiple things can be true at the same time. 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 and creative life,” she said.
“No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality or be real to me or louder to me than this love that we share, or even how it feels to make art with the people that I love and respect,” Grande told her fans.
“The rest of that s--t is not mine to carry, so I don’t carry it. 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,” she concluded.
Grande’s public break includes a step away from a 2027 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Sunday in the Park with George, in which she was set to play a part.
The decision sparked widespread speculation on social media, amid ongoing scrutiny of her weight loss.
Grande addressed the chatter in 2024. “I have heard it all. I heard every version of it, of what’s wrong with me. And then you fix it, and then it’s wrong for different reasons,” she said on the Dinner with Sally podcast at the time. The following year, the Wicked actress reposted the viral clip as a “friendly reminder” to fans.
The artist will next be seen in Meet the Fockers sequel, Focker-in-Law, scheduled for release this November.
Her latest album, Petal, was released at the end of July.
