Ariana Grande will step away from public life when her current tour ends next month. She is also withdrawing from a planned West End musical revival that had been expected to open in London next summer.
Grande's representative released a statement confirming the news on August 2, first reported by People. According to Billboard, the statement read: "Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour. 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."
Grande had been set to star in a West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park With George opposite Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey. She is no longer attached to that production.
The Eternal Sunshine Tour heads to Chicago next for three dates on August 3, 5, and 6, before closing with a 10-date London run from August 15 through September 1.
Grande released her new studio album Petal on July 31. Its title track is the album's second single, and it arrived with a music video that directly addresses public criticism she has faced about her physical appearance and weight. In the video, which plays as a short film, she is told she is "not good enough" and has "no sex appeal," with audition notes saying she "should get some work done" shifting to "too much work done." The video ends with Grande cutting down the critics with a chainsaw.
The album's first single, "Hate That I Made You Love Me," debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Despite the break from public appearances, Grande is still set to appear on screen later this year. She stars in Focker-in-Law, the latest entry in the Meet the Parents comedy franchise with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. That film opens in theaters on November 25.
