Ariana Grande addressed her recent decision to step back from public life during a performance in Chicago on Monday night, clarifying that the move was not impulsive or reactive. The 33-year-old singer and actor made the comments during the first of a three-night run in the city.

Clarifying the Step-Back

Grande told fans during the show: ‘The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I had decided to plan quietly, a long time ago.’ She shared these remarks via videos posted on social media, adding, ‘It was a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.’

The planned step-back includes her withdrawal from a production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George at London’s Barbican next summer, where she would have appeared alongside her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.

Addressing Public Concerns

Grande appeared to reference ongoing public concern about her weight, which heightened after the release of the video for ‘Petal,’ the lead single from her new album of the same name, last week. The video, which was shared on Instagram, included a community note directing eating disorder sufferers to resources.

‘I heard my fans were worried negativity was ruining things for me, but that could not be more than the opposite,’ Grande said. ‘Boundaries need to be set, human beings do need a break sometimes.’

She added: ‘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.’ Grande emphasized that ‘many things can be true at the same time,’ acknowledging that while she is stepping back, her work and creative endeavors remain important.

Embracing Healing and Creativity

Grande called her current tour ‘one of the most healing, beautiful, correct and special experiences’ of her life — she also described it as ‘the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life,’ according to a social media post.

On stage in Chicago, she said: ‘I love you, this is what I want always. The rest of that [commentary] is not mine to carry.’ Her new album frequently expresses her frustration with public expectations; in the ‘Petal’ video, she murders a group of critics with a chainsaw.

Grande’s tour continues with a 10-night residency at the O2 Arena in London from 15 August.