Bill Maher jokes about Ariana Grande’s weight amid her decision to ‘step back’ from public eye

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bill Maher reportedly generated mixed reactions from the audience after making jokes about Ariana Grande’s weight during the opening monologue of ‘Real Time’ on Friday, August 7.

According to Variety, while his first joke about the singer drew laughter and applause, a follow-up comment prompted groans from the live audience. The remarks come as Grande prepares to step back from public visibility following her ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tour.

Ariana Grande becomes the target of Bill Maher’s joke

Maher began his opening monologue by discussing the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the release of a new trove of UFO files by the administration. “I hope the aliens are here, I do. I hope they’re here and watching us and they’re going to save us,” he said. 

He then referenced details from the newly released files, including triangular craft, strange lights over an army base and a stick-like figure with large eyes. “Oh, that was just an Ariana Grande video,” he joked, prompting laughter and applause from the audience.

However, his follow-up joke received a different response. “Please, we kid. We kid. Maybe that joke will make her eat something,” Maher added, drawing groans from the crowd.

The remarks come after Grande’s representative announced on August 2 that she would be taking a “step back from visibility” after completing her ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tour. The representative cited “ongoing public scrutiny” as one of the reasons for the break.

“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” Grande’s representative said adding, “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 representative further stated that the tour had been “a beautiful experience for her” and that she “loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”

Ariana Grande addresses her decision to step back

During a performance at Chicago’s United Center on Monday night, Grande further explained her decision to step away from the spotlight. She addressed her fans directly, saying that stories not coming directly from her can sometimes become “a little blown out of proportion.”

“So I just wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight because I love you so much,” she told the crowd. Grande emphasized that the announcement was “not a reactive or impulsive thing,” but rather a decision she had quietly planned long ago.

“It is something that I had decided to plan that I had quietly made a long time ago and it’s a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place,” Grande added.

She will also no longer appear in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Sunday in the Park with George,’ the team confirmed on social media. The production was scheduled to open at London’s Barbican Centre next summer, with her ‘Wicked’ costar Jonathan Bailey starring opposite her.

A source close to Grande told PEOPLE that she “cannot wait to support the brilliant team bringing this project to life.” Her physical appearance and overall health have been publicly discussed in recent years.

Following the release of the music video for her latest single, ‘petal,’ from her album of the same name, which was released July 31, public discussion around her physique intensified.