Following the announcement that she would be “taking a step back from visibility” after wrapping her current tour, Ariana Grande directly addressed her fans during her show at the United Center in Chicago on Monday (August 3).
Grande, who is set to conclude The Eternal Sunshine Tour with ten shows at the O2 Arena later this month, spoke to her fans between songs to clarify that her break was planned. “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 audience. “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.”
A representative for the singer confirmed on Sunday (August 2), that the singer-songwriter and actress would be taking a break amid mounting “scrutiny” surrounding her health. The news also means that she’ll no longer appear in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George, which was scheduled to open in London next year.
“I want you to know many things can be true at the same time,” Grande told the crowd. “I want to share this because 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. 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.”
She also wanted to make it clear that fans shouldn’t believe any of the current narratives about her being spread online.
“No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or elaborate to me than this love that we share,” she continued. “The rest of that shit 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.”
It’s been an incredibly busy few years for Grande, who starred in and provided music for both Wicked and its sequel Wicked: For Good, starred in the sci-fi musical Brighter Days Ahead, released the new studio album Petal, and embarked on a world tour starting in June. She also separated from her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, whom she started dating in 2023, and will appear in the upcoming comedy film Focker-in-Law, a sequel to Meet the Parents starring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, and Owen Wilson.
In the announcement of her break, her team suggested that speculation about her health based on her physical appearance contributed to her decision to take a step back.
“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” the rep said. “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.”
Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour is scheduled to wrap up on Sept. 1.
