Ariana Grande is stepping back from the spotlight after years of public scrutiny, with the singer also pulling out of her planned West End debut.
In a statement to People, a representative for the singer said Grande would be "taking a step back from visibility" after wrapping up her Eternal Sunshine tour 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. "This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much."
The announcement was followed by confirmation that Grande would no longer star opposite Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George.
A representative for Empire Street Productions confirmed the production would continue without her.
"Following this evening's announcement from Ariana Grande's team, we can confirm that she has decided to step back from Sunday in the Park with George," the spokesperson told the BBC.
"We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support. We wish her nothing but the best."
A replacement for Grande has not yet been announced.
For many fans, the news came as a shock. Grande, 33, is one of the defining pop stars of her generation, with more than 90 million records sold worldwide, three Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Hot 100 No 1 singles and an Oscar nomination for playing Glinda in Wicked. Yet despite those achievements, discussion surrounding her appearance has increasingly overshadowed her work.
For the singer herself, however, this has been a long time coming.
'You never know what someone is going through'
In April 2023, Grande posted a rare three-minute TikTok video after months of speculation about her weight and appearance. "There are many different kinds of beautiful," she told fans. "There are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful."
She also revealed that the version of herself many people described as looking "healthy" had actually been one of the lowest points in her life.
"The body that you've been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body," she said. "I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy."
Grande ended the video with a plea that would become a recurring theme.
"You never know what someone is going through. Even if you are coming from a loving place and a caring place, that person is probably working on it or has a support system that they are working on it with. So be gentle with each other and with yourselves," she said.
Despite her appeal, speculation about Grande's appearance continued.
Every major public appearance, from awards ceremonies and the Wicked press tour to social media posts and music videos, prompted fresh discussion about her weight, health and appearance.
In a 2024 interview with French Vogue, alongside Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo, Grande said the scrutiny had become so normalised that many people no longer questioned it.
"I've been doing this in front of the public and been a specimen in a Petri dish since I was 16 or 17," she said. "I've heard it all."
Why now?
The latest wave of discussion followed the release of Grande's eighth studio album, Petal, on July 31. Ahead of its release, Grande shared a video on Instagram explaining that the record was about "breaking up with all different kinds of negative attachments", from "my own monsters in my own head" to "external voices, things that no longer serve me". She described Petal as "something that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging", adding that the album came from a place she had previously been "too shy or polite to tap into".
But it was the release of the title track's music video that prompted renewed concern and speculation across social media.
Ironically, in the video, Grande plays a performer enduring a relentless stream of criticism while trying to succeed in the entertainment industry. During auditions, she is told she is "not good enough", labelled "desperate", urged to "get some work done", and later criticised for having "too much work done". Another casting note reads: "Couldn't hurt to lose a stone." The barrage of judgment continues until the character finally snaps, taking a chainsaw to her critics.
Rather than sparking discussion about the video's message, it prompted another wave of scrutiny over Grande herself. Social media was quickly flooded with comments analysing her appearance, with some fans expressing concern for her health, while others debated whether such speculation only fuelled the cycle of body commentary the singer has repeatedly pleaded with people to end.
