Ariana Grande to step back from work after 'ongoing public scrutiny'
Ariana Grande to step back from work after 'ongoing public scrutiny'
KiMi Robinson, USA TODAYMon, August 3, 2026 at 11:57 AM UTC
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After nearly a year of constantly making headlines on- and off-stage, Ariana Grande is taking a break.
The 33-year-old actress and pop star will step back from the public eye after spending the past year promoting a second "Wicked" film, touring for the first time in six years, releasing her eighth studio album and ending a three-year relationship, a representative for Grande said in a statement to USA TODAY on Aug. 2, which was first shared with People.
"Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour," the statement said. "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.
"This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much."
The 41-date tour wraps with a 10-night residency at London's O2 Arena; the final date is Sept. 1.
People, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline also reported that Grande will also bow out of her planned West End debut, which was scheduled for next summer. She was to star in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George" alongside "Wicked" costar Jonathan Bailey.
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Grande, who will finish the first leg of her Eternal Sunshine Tour on Aug. 6 after a two-month jaunt across North America, has recently made headlines for speculation over her private life. Amid quietly breaking up with "Wicked" costar Ethan Slater earlier this year and changing her "Thank U, Next" lyrics on tour to allude to one of her ex-boyfriends, Grande has been dogged by commentary about her appearance.
As the "Wicked: For Good" stars promoted the film last winter, some of its female cast members – Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh – experienced social media users zeroing in on their appearances and making assumptions about their health based on how their bodies looked.
Grande has spoken out against the widespread critique in the past, including in November 2025, when the Nickelodeon alumna issued a "loving reminder to all" by reposting a clip from a December 2024 interview in which she emotionally opened up about feeling like she's "been a specimen in a petri dish" since she was a teenager.
"I've heard every version of it, of what's wrong with me, and then you fix it, and then it's wrong for different reasons," she told Salima Jeanne Poumbga, known professionally as Sally, in the interview.
"Commenting on others' looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes or health, or how they present themselves – from what you're wearing to your body, to your face, to your everything – there’s a comfortability that people have commenting on that I think is really dangerous," she added. "I think it's dangerous for all parties involved."
In her latest album, "Petal," Grande explores a theme of “something that is full of life and growing through the cracks of something cold and hard and challenging," according to her April album announcement. She opens up about her attitudes toward the public's perception of her on tracks such as "Like I Do," in which she sings, "I'm making cents off of your nonsense," noting the commentary "keeps me well fed."
"Through thick and thin, you're so locked in / You hate to love me," she continues.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ariana Grande to step back from work after 'ongoing public scrutiny'
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
