Ariana Grande told fans during her concert in Chicago on Monday that her break from the spotlight was planned a long time ago. The 33-year-old star broke her silence a day after it was announced she will take a break after her Eternal Sunshine tour concludes in September amid ongoing scrutiny.
Grande clarified to the audience that her decision was quietly planned and was not made because negativity was ruining things for her. Her insistence that the break was long in the making follows an announcement on Sunday by producers of London theatre show Sunday in the Park with George that she is quitting the summer 2027 show.
Addressing the crowd on stage, Grande explained that multiple things can be true at the same time and that human beings can need a break sometimes. She added that her tour, which kicked off in North America in June and concludes with ten London dates in September, will continue to be the greatest experience of her professional and creative life.
"Sometimes when a story comes out that's not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion," Grande told fans on stage on Monday. "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."
"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," she continued. "And I want you to know many things can be true at the same time."
"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 f**k opposite," Grande added. "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 said.
"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," Grande told the audience. "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."
Grande's exit from the spotlight means she has decided to bow out of her starring role in the London production of Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican Centre in summer 2027. She was set to reunite with her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey, but producers confirmed in a statement on Sunday that she had decided to withdraw, adding that "we know this cannot have been an easy decision."
Producers confirmed that the production will go ahead and open as planned at the Barbican in summer 2027, with casting announced in due course.
West End Withdrawal and Project Schedule
Tickets for Sunday in the Park with George are due to go on sale in the autumn. Concerns were first raised about whether the show was going ahead when ticket sales were halted earlier this summer, amid growing fears that eight theatre shows a week would be too demanding alongside Grande's touring schedule.
A source close to Grande's camp told the Daily Mail at the time that "there's no doubt she's still doing it" and explained that "the show is still happening but ticket sales were pushed to September due to her touring and album release schedule."
Grande will also reportedly skip promotion for her upcoming movie Focker-in-Law, which is due to hit cinemas in November. Insiders insisted she will finish her tour as her last gift for fans.
A source told The Sun: "She is performing to rave reviews each night and is really enjoying herself, no matter what people are writing on TikTok and Instagram. Her decision to step away is her own and she's doing it at the right time for her."
Grande's spokesman told PEOPLE on Sunday that the singer will "be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour." The spokesman added: "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."
A source close to the singer explained that Grande's tour involves a very physical and athletic performance which she performs at a healthy and high level.
Public Scrutiny and Social Media Backlash
Grande's appearance has come under scrutiny in recent months, especially following the release of her new music video, Petal. She has publicly insisted that she is healthy, but fans pointed out how gaunt she looks in the violent music video.
Actress and activist Jameela Jamil, 40, was among those facing backlash after commenting online that Grande "is possibly dying right in front of us." Jamil, who has spoken openly about her own previous struggles with anorexia, wrote online: "This poor woman is possibly dying right in front of us. This outfit is designed to accentuate the thinness for discourse. Her team are thoroughly irresponsible for not guiding her away from this deeply damaging image for her young fans to see so glamorized."
After some were upset with her comments, Jamil defended herself in a later post saying she "prays that Ariana recovers." In a further post on Tuesday morning, Jamil responded to Grande's on-stage statements on Instagram, writing: "Ariana Grande explains this break was planned for a long time and was not a reaction to her work. She wants rest and boundaries and I think that's great. It's something more people need to do for themselves."
Grande has hit back at people who have commented on her body multiple times previously.
In her 2024 song Yes, And? from the album Eternal Sunshine, Grande addressed scrutiny over her appearance, singing: "My face is sitting, I don't need no disguise. Don't comment on my body, do not reply. Your business is yours and mine is mine. Why do you care so much whose - I ride? Why?"
In January, the Wicked: For Good actress admitted to Vogue Japan that it would probably be "healthy" for her to take a career break. "I think that it would probably be healthy," she said. "I'm not used to taking breaks. But I do know that I grew so much from taking space from music while I was filming Wicked... But yeah, these past few years have been pretty non-stop. And by few, I mean 15."
Grande explained that she is searching for more "balance" in the years to come, saying: "Balance is the goal for the next 15 years. I don't think they will look like the previous 15 years. I think there will be more balance."
