LOS ANGELES — Pop star Ariana Grande plans to step back from public appearances once she completes her ongoing Eternal Sunshine Tour, her spokesperson confirmed Sunday.
The decision means Grande is also pulling out of the upcoming West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Sunday in the Park with George”. She had been scheduled to star in the London show alongside her “Wicked” co-star Jonathan Bailey.
”Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” her representative said in an official statement.
”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,” the statement added. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
An insider close to the Grammy-winning singer mentioned that Grande feels disappointed about leaving the West End stage. However, she remains fully supportive of the theater crew.
”She cannot wait to support the brilliant team bringing this project to life,” the source shared.
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While her team did not point to a single event, they explicitly noted “endless, ongoing public scrutiny” surrounding her public life. Online commentary and body-shaming have targeted Grande for several years. Criticism flared up again recently following the video release for “Petal,” a track on her latest album of the same name.
Grande has previously pushed back against public commentary on her body. In her 2024 single “Yes, And?,” she directly told listeners, “Don’t comment on my body.”
The singer launched The Eternal Sunshine Tour in June in Oakland, California. She is finishing her remaining U.S. dates before traveling to London, where the concert series concludes on Sept. 1.
This tour represents her big return to live musical performances following several years dedicated to acting and studio work, most notably playing Glinda in the “Wicked” movies.
Though Ariana Grande is taking a break from public appearances, fans can still catch her on the big screen later this year. She stars in “Focker-in-Law,” the newest movie in the “Meet the Parents” series, featuring Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. The film arrives in theaters on Nov. 25.
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