Ariana Grande Is Taking A ‘Step Back’ From Public Life

After two Wicked movies and multiple tours and albums, Ariana Grande is taking a well-deserved break from the public eye.

The Sweetener singer’s rep told People, “Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour” after “endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”

The singer’s current tour is set to conclude in London next month.

She will also no longer take part in a London musical she had previously agreed to star in.

This comes days after the release of new album Petal, in which Ariana plays a performer who is told she’s “not good enough” and alternately informed she’s had too little or too much work done.

Ariana’s representative also told People that the singer and actor plans to end her tour “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 source told People that the new release is “a fight song, an anthem about the love-hate relationship with the public and their toxicity”.

Since its release, many have criticised Ariana’s physical appearance online, despite the singer’s previous objections to similar critiques.

In 2024’s Yes, And? she sang, “Don’t comment on my body, do not reply”, for instance.

The star’s rep added, “She performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved. She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.”

The 33-year-old was set to star alongside Jonathan Bailey in Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George as part of a 2027 Barbican production.

Speaking to the BBC, a representative for Empire Street Productions said: “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.

“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.”

We don’t yet know who will replace Grande in the role.