Ariana Grande has addressed her plans to step back from the public eye after her Eternal Sunshine Tour concludes on September 1. Her representative had previously announced a temporary hiatus for the singer.

Speaking at her Chicago concert on August 3, Grande clarified, "The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I had decided to plan, that I had quietly made a long time ago.” She denied that "negativity was ruining things" for her, stating her decision came from a "thoughtful and empowered place." Grande added, "Multiple things can be true at the same time. Boundaries can need to be set. Human beings can need a break sometimes. And also this can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional career." She concluded, "No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or louder to me as this love that we share."

Just one day prior, on August 2, Grande’s rep confirmed that the Grammy winner would be taking a break from the spotlight. "Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” her rep stated. “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 41-stop tour, ending in September, has been a significant undertaking, but Grande's fans have made it worthwhile. "This tour has been a beautiful experience for her,” the statement continued. “She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.” A source close to Grande added that she “performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.”

Beyond her music, Grande is also stepping away from an upcoming West End production. The team behind the musical confirmed her departure on August 2, stating, “We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support. We wish her nothing but the best.” The musical, which would have reunited Grande with her Wicked costar, will still open at London’s the Barbican in the summer of 2027, with casting to be announced later.

Days before her break was announced, the 33-year-old released her eighth studio album, Petal, along with its music video. While her appearance in the video sparked further public concern about her well-being, an insider stressed that her album “is a fight song, an anthem about the love-hate relationship with the public and their toxicity.” Grande has been open about the difficulties of living in the spotlight. In an interview with web series Oui Oui Baguette, the Nickelodeon alum shared, "I've been doing this in front of the public, and kind of been a specimen in a petri-dish since I was 16 or 17. So, I have heard it all. 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 added, “It’s hard to protect yourself from that noise, and I think it's something that is uncomfortable no matter what scale you're experiencing it on.”