Ariana Grande has pulled out of an upcoming stage musical in London, producers said, and plans to withdraw from the public eye for a break from the intense scrutiny she has been facing.Grande had been due to star alongside her "Wicked" co-star Jonathan Bailey in a production of Stephen Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park with George" at the Barbican Centre in 2027.
Empire Street Productions said Sunday that Grande will no longer be part of the production."We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support," the company said.
It said the production will open next summer as planned, with casting to be announced "in due course." A representative for Grande told People magazine that the 33-year-old singer "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," the statement said.The rep did not offer specifics but the singer's physical appearance and health have been a source of public commentary in recent years.That scrutiny ramped up last week after the release of Grande's "Petal" music video, in which she plays an aspiring performer who gets repeatedly rejected at auditions by male judges.
Grande has responded to the scrutiny about her appearance before.In her 2024 song "Yes, And?" Grande sings, "My face is sitting, I don't need no disguise / Don't comment on my body, do not reply / Your business is yours, and mine is mine."In 2023, after an influx of comments about the celebrity's appearance, the singer shared a video on TikTok to remind followers "you never know what someone is going through." The clip went viral with millions of views and likes."Even if you are coming from a loving place and a caring place, that person probably is...