Ariana Grande Plans to Step Back From Public Life After Tour Ends Amid Criticism
Ariana Grande is reportedly stepping away from the spotlight … as concern and commentary surrounding her appearance reaches a fever pitch.
The singer plans to “take a step back from visibility” after wrapping her “Eternal Sunshine Tour” in London on September 1, her rep tells PEOPLE … blaming the “endless, ongoing public scrutiny” surrounding her public appearances.
The news comes after Jameela Jamil sounded the alarm Saturday over Ariana’s appearance in her newly released “Petal” music video … claiming the pop star is “possibly dying right in front of us.”
The ‘Good Place’ actress compared the situation to the trolley problem … acknowledging that commenting on Ariana’s body could hurt her mental health, while arguing that staying silent could normalize what she deems is an unhealthy image for millions of young and impressionable fans.
Jameela criticized the video’s styling for what she sees as deliberately emphasizing Ariana’s frame with belts and corsets … and claimed images of the singer are already circulating on pro-anorexia websites, where some teenage girls are calling her appearance “goals.”
She also questioned whether Ariana has the support needed to deal with a potentially deadly eating disorder … though Ariana has never said she has anorexia — and Jameela offered no evidence she does.
Ariana has not responded to Jameela’s claims … a source close to the singer told PEOPLE she performs her highly physical show “healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.”
Her rep added that Ariana plans to finish the tour “healthily and happily” before taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances.
Ariana has repeatedly pushed back against commentary about her body over the years … reminding fans in 2023 that the appearance people once considered her “healthiest” actually came during an unhealthy period in her life.