Ariana Grande has spoken out about her decision to take a break from the public eye, telling fans that “multiple things can be true at the same time”.
The pop star’s representatives confirmed over the weekend that she would be “taking a step back from visibility” following her current ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tour.
READ MORE: Ariana Grande – ‘Petal’ review: conflicted pop songs under the spotlight
She has also withdrawn from the upcoming West End revival of Sunday In The Park With George, in which she had been due to appear alongside her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey. It would have been her West End debut at London’s Barbican Centre, starting next summer.
During the first of her three shows at Chicago’s United Center last night (Monday August 3), Grande took a moment to “clear the air about a few things”.
“Sometimes when a story comes out that’s not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion, so I wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight because I love you so much,” the singer told the audience (via Rolling Stone).
“The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It was something that I have decided. A plan that I had quietly made a long time ago. It was a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.”
She went on: “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 far opposite. This is not what that is. And I just want to be very, very clear: multiple things can be true at the same time.
“Boundaries 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.”
HER PUTTING HER PHONE IN HER BOOT AT THE END we love uuuu @arianagrande #arianagrande #eternalsunshinetour
♬ original sound – Chris Olsen
Grande explained that despite “what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality or be real to me or louder to me than this love that we share, or even how it feels to make art with the people that I love and respect”.
She added: “This is what I will always take with me and carry with me, because the rest of that shit is not mine to carry, so I don’t carry it. And I wanted you to hear that from me.”
Elaborating on her reasons for speaking out, Grande shared: “I needed to get out here and differentiate that from my truth for all of you because I love you and this tour has been the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life.”
People quoted a source close to the star, who emphasised that she was in good health. “She performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved,” they commented. “She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.”
Ariana Grande. Credit: @katiatemkin
The decision comes after renewed public commentary surrounding Grande’s body and appearance, which intensified online after she recently released the video for ‘Petal’, the title track from her new album.
Last month, it was reported that Grande had also pulled out of the new season of American Horror Story due to touring commitments.
She is still set to appear alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in the upcoming Meet The Parents sequel Focker-In-Law, which is due to be released in November.
Grande is scheduled to play two more concerts at Chicago’s United Center tomorrow (Wednesday August 5) and Thursday (August 6). She’ll then head to the UK for a 10-night residency at The O2 in London between August 15 and September 1. Find any remaining tickets here.
In a three-and-a-half-star review of ‘Petal’, NME wrote: “Rather than turning heartache into collective joy and wonder – which has always been her greatest strength – ‘Petal’ pulls inward, beseeching the listener to hold empathy for her experiences, even as she reportedly looks to step back from public life following the ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tour.”
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