Ariana Grande's mom showers love on pop star amid her plans to 'step back' from public eye
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ariana Grande received a public show of support from her mother, Joan Grande, after it was revealed that the Grammy-winning singer plans to step back from public-facing work once her Eternal Sunshine Tour concludes.
Joan showered love on her daughter's latest social media post celebrating her new music video, while Ariana also shared her excitement about returning to the stage for another concert as the tour nears its end.
Joan Grande supports Ariana Grande as 'Petal' music video draws praise
After Ariana shared a series of behind-the-scenes photos from filming her 'Petal' music video on Instagram on Monday, August 3, Joan expressed her admiration in the comments section. “You are magnificent… and this video is incredible!!” she wrote, adding, “I love it and I love you more!!!”
Ariana captioned the post with a lyric from the title track of her newly released album, writing, “Petal in the pavement.” The slideshow began with a photo of Ariana posing on set in a cow-print dress and heels and also featured several other looks from the music video, including an off-the-shoulder black top and a blood-soaked ensemble.
The music video sparked widespread discussion on social media about the 'Wicked' star's apparent weight loss. In response to the ongoing attention, Ariana's representative confirmed that the singer will be “taking a step back from visibility” after completing the 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,” the spokesperson said.
“This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.” Despite the announcement, Ariana reassured fans ahead of her next performance by posting on Instagram Stories before her first of three consecutive shows at Chicago's United Center.
“See you tonight, my sweethearts!!!” she wrote alongside a recent performance clip, adding, “Cannot wait and love you so.”
Ariana Grande withdraws from West End revival of 'Sunday in the Park with George' amid scrutiny
A source close to the singer has continued performing successfully despite the attention surrounding her health and appearance. “She performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved. She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night,” the source said.
The representative also confirmed that Ariana will no longer appear opposite her 'Wicked' co-star Jonathan Bailey in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's 'Sunday in the Park with George', which is scheduled to open at London's Barbican Centre next summer.
According to the source, she “cannot wait to support the brilliant team bringing this project to life.” The production team also confirmed the news, expressing its “understanding and support” for Ariana while wishing her “nothing but the best.”
Although Ariana has not directly addressed the recent online discussion surrounding her appearance, fans flooded her latest Instagram post with supportive comments, describing the 'Petal' music video as “cinema” and a “work of art.”
Stylist Law Roach and director Christian Breslauer also reacted with multiple red heart emojis. The singer has previously spoken out against body-shaming. In her 2024 interview, she described such commentary as “really dangerous” and said it is “hard to protect [her]self from that noise.” She later re-shared the clip as a “loving reminder to all.”
