Ariana Grande is offering some clarifications for her fans after it was revealed on Sunday that she will be “taking a step back from visibility” after her Eternal Sunshine Tour wraps.
The singer-actress took a moment during her concert on Monday night at the United Center in Chicago 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 began, via videos shared on social media. “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.”
“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 continued, drawing loud cheers from the audience. “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.”
“This is what I will always take with me and carry with me, because the rest of that shit is not mine to carry so I don’t carry it. And I wanted you to hear that from me. I needed to get out here and differentiate that from my truth for all of you because I love you and this tour has been the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life,” Grande concluded.
The Wicked star’s new comments came a day after her rep told The Hollywood Reporter that she will be stepping back from the public eye after her tour concludes on Sept. 1, following her 10-show residency in London.
“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 rep added. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
THR also learned that Grande dropped out of the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George, which is set to open next summer.
The “petal” singer has had a busy few years, between starring in Wicked: For Good and Wicked, the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination for her role as Glinda. She’s also released two albums over the last two years, including 2024’s Eternal Sunshine and Petal, which dropped last month. Grande next stars in Focker-in-Law, hitting theaters on Nov. 25.
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