Ariana Grande steps back from public life after tour

Ariana Grande will step away from public-facing work after her Eternal Sunshine Tour and has withdrawn from a planned London stage production, her representatives and the show’s producers said, citing the intense public scrutiny surrounding the singer.

The 33-year-old performer had been due to star with her “Wicked” co-star Jonathan Bailey in a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George” at the Barbican Centre in 2027. Empire Street Productions said Sunday that Grande will no longer appear in the show, which is still scheduled to open in summer 2027.

“We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support,” the company said. It added that further casting would be announced “in due course.”

A representative for Grande told People magazine that the singer “will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.”

“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 representative said.

The representative did not give specific details about the scrutiny. Grande’s physical appearance and health have been the subject of public commentary and speculation in recent years. The BBC reported that speculation increased after the release Friday of her latest album, “Petal,” and her appearance in promotional material for the launch. CBS News described the release as Grande’s “Petal” music video.

In the video, Grande plays an aspiring performer who is repeatedly rejected at auditions by male judges. The BBC reported that the character is told she is “not good enough,” “desperate,” that she “should get some work done” and then that she has “too much work done.” The character eventually takes a chainsaw to the critics.

Grande has addressed commentary about her appearance before. In her 2024 song “Yes, And?” she sings: “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.”

In 2023, after a wave of comments about her appearance, Grande posted a TikTok video urging followers to remember that “you never know what someone is going through.” The clip drew millions of views and likes.

“Even if you are coming from a loving place and a caring place, that person probably is working on it or has a support system that they are working on it with,” Grande said then. “So, be gentle with each other and with yourselves.”

Grande’s representative also told People that the singer’s current show is physically demanding. “She performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved,” the representative said. “She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.”

Fans responded online with messages of support and concern, with #weloveyouariana trending on social media, the BBC reported.

The Eternal Sunshine Tour continues in Chicago on Monday with three dates at the United Center before moving to London’s O2 arena for 10 dates beginning Aug. 15. The tour is scheduled to end in London on Sept. 1.

Grande rose to fame as a child performer on Nickelodeon before releasing her debut album, “Yours Truly,” in 2013. She has won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for a supporting actress Academy Award for the film adaptation of “Wicked.”