The last few years have been among the biggest in Ariana Grande's life. While the 32-year-old has been in the public eye for almost half of her life, her fame ramped up a gear following the release of Wicked and Wicked For Good and the subsequent press tours, which went viral on countless occasions, and the scrutiny appears to have become too much for the musician.
In August, the Petal musician announced that she plans to take a step back from the limelight after her Eternal Sunshine tour wraps in September, with a statement from her rep reading: "Ariana 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."
© InstagramThe decision led to Ariana pulling out of her upcoming West End stint in Sunday in the Park with George, which she was due to appear in alongside Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
Ariana has been open for years about the intense scrutiny she receives in the public eye, speaking on several occasions about how it is detrimental to her health.
© Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesPublic commentary on Ariana Grande's health
In December 2024, the Positions singer shared that she feels she has been a "specimen in a petri dish," since she was 16 years old, relaying the pressures she feels from the constant comments on her looks. "I've heard every version of what's wrong with me, and you fix it and then it's wrong for different reasons," she began. " When you're young and you're hearing all kinds of things it's hard to protect yourself from that noise." The Glinda actress continued that comments on weight are "uncomfortable and horrible," no matter the scale they are received on.
© Penske Media via Getty ImagesReflecting on the constant commentary she receives on her looks, Ariana said: "In today's society, there's a comfortability we shouldn't have at all commenting on other's looks or what we think is going on behind the scenes or [with their] health. I know what the pressure of that noise feels like, and it's been a constant resident in my life," she lamented.
This is the second time Ariana has directly commented on how she deals with the magnifying glass on her and her appearance. In a 2023 TikTok video, the singer said she had a body that is "paid such close attention to", so she "wanted to address" concerns about her weight loss. Ariana said the public was "comparing my current body" to "the unhealthiest version of my body", addressing comparisons between her smaller frame and how she looked in the past.
© Patrick McMullan via Getty ImageReferring to a time when the public believed her to be "healthier", Ariana revealed: "I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy, but that in fact wasn't my healthy. I know I shouldn't have to explain that, but I do feel like having an openness and some sort of vulnerability here will [mean] something good might come from it. Healthy can look different."
She continued: "The second thing is, you never know what someone is going through. 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. You never know. So be gentle with each other and with yourselves."
Ariana Grande's mental health
As well as speaking about her battles with the public's commentary on her looks, Ariana has been open about her mental health, most recently in February 2025, when she appeared on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, stating that mental health support earlier in her career would have benefited her. "It's so important that these record labels, these studios, these TV studios, these big production companies make it a part of the contract when you sign on to do something that's going to change your life in that way, on that scale. You need a therapist to be seeing several times a week because to be an artist, you are a vulnerable person with your heart on your sleeve," Ariana said.
At 32, the star has been through a lot, including the death of her ex-partner, Mac Miller, in 2018 and the bombing at her Manchester concert in 2017. Speaking on how these tragic occurrences impacted her, Ariana told ELLE of the trauma following the bombing: "When I got home from tour, I had really wild dizzy spells, this feeling like I couldn't breathe. I've always had anxiety, but it had never been physical before." She also shared that she had PTSD, posting an image of a brain scan to illustrate how her brain had been impacted by the traumatic events.
© Kevin Mazur/Getty Images"I love science and seeing the physical reality of what’s going on in there was incredible to me. Someday, when I'm more healed up, we can talk more about it. I am constantly working on my health/learning how to process pain.". With the star on one of the world's biggest stages this month. here's hoping viewers focus on Ariana's spellbinding performance rather than her appearance.
