Ariana Grande Opens Up About Stepping Back: "This Wasn't an Impulsive Decision"

Singer reassures worried fans that her break from the spotlight has been carefully planned for months

Ariana Grande is setting the record straight about her recent announcement to step away from public life and she wants fans to know this wasn't a snap decision made in the heat of the moment.

During a heartfelt moment at her Chicago concert on Monday night, the thirty three year old singer addressed the buzz surrounding Sunday's news that she'd be suspending future appearances and taking time away from the spotlight.

"The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing," Grande told the crowd at the United Center, according to fan footage she later shared on her Instagram Stories. "It is something that I had decided to plan… a long time ago."

She emphasized that the choice came "from a thoughtful and empowered place," and the audience responded with overwhelming support.

Grande also wanted to calm concerns that negative attention had driven her away. "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… opposite," she said. "Boundaries do need to be set, human beings can need a break sometimes."

"No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality, or be more real to me or louder to me than this love that we share," she added. "I love you."

The timing of Grande's announcement comes amid fresh waves of public commentary about her appearance. Just days earlier, she had released the music video for her latest single "Petal," which showed her noticeably thin frame and sparked renewed concern among fans and observers alike.

This isn't the first time Grande has had to navigate public scrutiny over her body. Back in 2013, at just 19 years old, she addressed rumors about an eating disorder on Tumblr. More recently, in 2023, she posted a TikTok video making her feelings clear: "I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies, no matter what."

"If you think you're saying something good or well-intentioned, whatever it is, healthy, unhealthy, big, small, this, that, sexy, nonsense…we just should really work towards not doing that as much," she said at the time.

Grande's Eternal Sunshine Tour is set to wrap up in London on September 1, after which she'll begin her break from public visibility.a decision she's made clear comes from a place of strength, not defeat.