Pop star Ariana Grande will be stepping away from the spotlight for a while due to what her representative described as “ongoing public scrutiny.”
Grande’s exit comes at the finish of her Eternal Sunshine Tour. In a statement, Grande’s representative said that singer has faced “ongoing public scrutiny” without elaborating.
“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” Grande’s 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 exit comes after she reportedly dropped out of Stephen Sondheim’s revival of Sunday in the Park With George in London’s West End, for which he was slated to star alongside Jonathan Bailey.
According to Variety, the alleged “public scrutiny” Grande faced could mean several things, most especially her physical appearance.
In recent years, as Grande has risen to super stardom, her physical appearance has been put under the microscope in certain online circles. Her “Petal” music video, which was released on Friday, reignited fan concerns about her weight loss.
The Eternal Sunshine Tour wraps on Sept. 1, meaning Grande is gunning for a break starting in the early fall. However, Grande is soon starring in “Focker-in-Law” alongside Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller. That film is positioned to be a holiday hit for Universal and arrives in theaters the day before Thanksgiving. It will most likely require a splashy promotional tour and many public appearances from Grande and her co-stars.
Grande catapulted to Hollywood star status in 2024 when she starred alongside Cynthia Erivo in the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked.