Pop superstar Ariana Grande has addressed fans for the first time following news that she will step back from public life after the conclusion of her Eternal Sunshine Tour, insisting the decision was carefully planned and not a response to recent public scrutiny.
Speaking during her concert at Chicago’s United Center on Monday, Grande reassured fans that her decision had been made “quietly, a long time ago” and was rooted in self-care rather than outside pressure.
“The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing,” she told the audience. “It is something that I had decided to plan… quietly, a long time ago.”
The singer explained that she wanted to address fans directly after learning many were concerned that online negativity had influenced her decision.
“I heard my fans were worried negativity was ruining things for me but… that could not be more than the opposite,” she said. “Boundaries need to be set. Human beings do need a break sometimes.”
Reading from notes she had prepared, Grande described the move as one made from “a thoughtful and empowered place,” adding that the love and support she receives from fans remains stronger than any criticism.
“No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality, or be more real to me than this love that we share,” she said. “The rest of that stuff is not mine to carry.”
Grande also revealed she wanted to speak personally because stories shared by others can sometimes be “blown out of proportion.”
Her comments come a day after her representative confirmed that the Grammy-winning singer and actress would be taking a “well-earned break” from the public eye after completing her current world tour, citing “endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”
The Eternal Sunshine Tour, which wraps up on 1 September following a 10-night residency in London, has been one of the most meaningful periods of her career, Grande said.
“This tour has been one of the most healing, beautiful, correct and special experiences of my life,” she told concertgoers.
The announcement has sparked an outpouring of support from fans, with the hashtag #WeLoveYouAriana trending across social media. Grande’s mother, Joan, also expressed her support on Instagram, praising her daughter’s latest music video and calling her “magnificent.”
Grande’s planned hiatus will also affect her professional commitments. She will no longer appear in the planned London production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican, where she had been cast alongside her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
The Barbican said it hopes to welcome the singer in the future when “the time is right.”
SOURCE: BBC