Ariana Grande has reassured fans that her decision to step back from the spotlight after her current tour was carefully planned, saying it was made from “a thoughtful and empowered place” and not because of recent public attention.
Ariana Grande has addressed fans for the first time since announcing that she will step back from public life after her current Eternal Sunshine Tour, insisting the decision was neither sudden nor driven by recent criticism.
Speaking on stage during her concert in Chicago on Monday, the singer said the move had been planned long before the public announcement.
“The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing,” Grande told the audience. “It is something that I had decided to plan… quietly, a long time ago.”
Performing the first of three shows at the United Center, the Grammy-winning singer said she wanted fans to hear directly from her after seeing widespread concern online.
“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 explained that she wanted to avoid misunderstanding and reassure supporters that the decision came from “a thoughtful and empowered place.”
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She also thanked fans for their continued support.
“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. “I love you… the rest of that stuff is not mine to carry.”
A representative for the singer told People magazine that Grande would be taking a “well-earned break” following months of intense public scrutiny.
The announcement means the singer will no longer appear in next year’s London production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George at the Barbican, where she had been due to star alongside her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
The Barbican said it respected her decision and hoped to welcome her in the future “when the time is right.”
Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour is scheduled to conclude on 1 September after a 10-night run in London.
