Ariana Grande is “taking a step back from visibility” after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour in one month, a representative for the artist told People. As such, the Petal singer will no longer appear in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s 1984 musical Sunday in the Park With George alongside her former Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey. This news arrives after fans have voiced concern for the singer’s health based on her appearance in public, on tour, and in music videos.
“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,” Grande’s representative said in the statement. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
A source “close to Grande” also told People, “She performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved. She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.”
Grande has 13 dates left on her headlining tour—three shows in Chicago, followed by 10 concerts in London—that last on through September 1, after which she will be retreating from the public eye. Because it’s her first tour in nearly seven years, Grande has been performing from both 2024’s Eternal Sunshine and 2020’s Positions, while also sneaking in a few Petal tracks. Grande will still appear in Focker-in-Law, the latest installment in the Meet the Parents film franchise, when it hits theaters on November 25.
During her August 3 headlining show at Chicago’s United Center, Grande addressed the rumors surrounding her decision. “So basically, the announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing,” she told the crowd. “It is something that I had decided to plan that I had quietly made a long time ago and it’s a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place. And I want you to know many things can be true at the same time. 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 fuck opposite. Honestly, this is not what that is. And I just want to be very, very clear: Multiple things can be true at the same time. Yes, boundaries, they 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.”
“No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or elaborate to me than this love that we share,” Grande continued. “The rest of that shit is not mine to carry, so I don’t carry it. I need to get out here and differentiate that from my truth for you all because I love you and this tour has been the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life.”