Ariana Grande has spoken out after it was announced Sunday (Aug. 2) that she plans to step back from the public eye following her Eternal Sunshine Tour, a move that includes dropping out of the cast of the upcoming West End revival of Sunday in the Park With George.
In a post on Instagram Stories the next day, the pop superstar — who will play her first of three shows in Chicago on Monday (Aug. 3) — shared a video of herself performing on stage and wrote, “see you tonight, my sweethearts!!! i cannot wait and love you so.”
She also commented something similar on a reel of her performing “Stay” from new album Petal. “i love you, my sweeeetests & cannot wait to be with you tonight ! ! ! ! !” she wrote.
The singer’s remarks remain optimistic despite the speculation taking place online as to why her rep told People Sunday, “Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.” The statement also noted that Grande “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.”
Shortly afterward, Sunday in the Park With George — in which Grande was set to star opposite Wicked costar Jonathan Bailey next year in London — confirmed that the R.E.M. Beauty founder’s role would also be recast in light of her break from the spotlight. “We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support,” read a statement on the production’s Instagram Story. “The production will open at the Barbican in summer 2027 as planned, and casting will be announced in due course.”
Grande did not acknowledge the break in her first posts since it was announced, and her rep has not given any further specifics in regards to why she made the decision beyond the “endless, ongoing public scrutiny.” The Grammy winner has been subject to consistent criticism, specifically concerning her body, for the past couple of years, but the discourse was amplified after the release of her “Petal” music video on Friday (July 31). Ironically, the visual appeared to center around Grande’s ever-evolving relationship with criticism, showing her repeatedly changing her look in drastic ways to win the approval of entertainment executives before hacking them apart with a chainsaw once she realizes she’ll never be good enough in their eyes.
Petal dropped the same day as the visual, featuring a total of 12 tracks. Included on the set is lead single “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
