Ariana Grande was seen in New York City on Monday, marking her first public outing since revealing plans to retreat from the spotlight amid ongoing public discussion about her weight.
The 33-year-old pop star kept bundled up in her own tour merchandise, wearing a black sweatshirt emblazoned with the title of her latest album, Petal. She paired it with loose blue jeans, white socks and block-heeled ballet pumps.
Grande, who split from her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater, 34, earlier this year, was also seen wearing a white face mask reminiscent of COVID-19-era precautions before later removing it.
Her hair was pulled back into a sleek bun, and she carried an oversized polka-dot tote bag along with a pair of Apple headphones.
She was accompanied by Hale Grande, the husband of her brother Frankie, who walked behind her dressed in a black tank top.
The Daily Mail has contacted Grande’s representatives for comment.
Ariana Grande, 33, was photographed in New York City during her first outing since announcing plans to step back from public life
The pop star kept warm on Monday in her own tour merchandise, including a black sweatshirt featuring the title of her latest album, Petal
She was joined by her brother Frankie’s husband Hale Grande, who showed off his muscles in a black tank top as he walked behind her
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It comes after Grande admitted she was ‘overwhelmed’ last Thursday night as she celebrated the end of her North American tour.
Grande shared a bevy of photos and videos to Instagram from her Eternal Sunshine tour, the American section of which ended on August 6 with her third performance at Chicago’s United Center.
Her moving message to her fans came just days after she said on stage that she was taking a ‘break’ after her tour ends amid ‘ongoing scrutiny’.
Earlier this week, a family source told Our News Outlet they had ‘begged’ Grande to take a serious break from the stage amid rampant speculation from fans about her health and weight.
‘i love you … i cannot believe that this concludes the north american leg of the eternal sunshine tour. i am overwhelmed with love and the deepest gratitude,’ Grande gushed in her caption.
‘thank you endlessly for the most special, beautiful, joyful and deeply fulfilling few months … i will cherish every moment of this time with you all & these memories forever,’ the hitmaker continued. ‘thank you, chicago… london, i cannot wait to see you soon. i love you all more than ever.’
Grande will have a short break until she returns with a string of ten performances at London’s O2 Arena beginning on August 15 and running through September 1, which will mark the end of her Eternal Sunshine tour.
After Grande announced she’s taking a break from public life amid intense scrutiny about her weight, she also appeared to signal she will be prioritizing wellness during her downtime by liking a pointed post on Instagram about ‘getting healthier.’
Her hair was slicked back in a bun
It comes after Grande admitted she was ‘overwhelmed’ last Thursday night, as she celebrated the end of her North American tour leg
The hitmaker completed her outfit with loose-fitting blue jeans paired with white socks and block-heeled ballet shoes
The actress also wore a white face mask, echoing COVID-19 pandemic protocols, before taking it off
Earlier this month, her reps shared a statement saying she would be taking a ‘much-deserved break’ from public-facing duties after the tour ends
‘We have asked her to take a break. Actually we’ve begged her, like a lot. A lot a lot,’ a family insider close to the star recently told Our News Outlet
The video was shared on Tuesday by content creator Terri Cole, a New York-based psychotherapist and podcast host, who stated: ‘Unfortunately, I can confirm that not everyone will like the healthier version of you. That’s OK. Get healthier, anyway!’
‘There are going to be people who celebrate the healthier version of you…and you might have those who miss the version of you that was stretched thin, keeping everyone else happy + comfortable,’ Cole continued.
The post further declared: ‘Keep growing and prioritising yourself regardless. You have more strength than you likely give yourself credit for, and every step you take to honor your boundaries is proof of that.’
‘The people who are meant to be in your circle will love and appreciate your growth, not just the parts of you that make everything comfortable or convenient,’ she concluded. ‘Drop a [heart] if you had a relationship change because you finally chose YOU!’
Grande ‘liked’ the upload but did not leave a comment.
She recently sparked fan concern with her Petal video, directed by Christian Breslauer, where the Oscar-nominated actress looked alarmingly thin and her ribs were visible on her chest.
Earlier this month, her reps shared a statement saying she would be taking a ‘much-deserved break’ from public-facing duties after the tour ends.
The statement served as an announcement of her exit from the West End revival of Sunday in the Park with George, in which she was due to star this fall.
The pop sensation subsequently spoke out directly to fans during one of her Chicago concerts, saying she had planned to take a break ‘quietly, a long time ago’ and made the decision ‘from a thoughtful and empowered place.’
Earlier this week, Grande ‘liked’ an Instagram post with a message about being ‘healthier’ amid ongoing public scrutiny over her weight and appearance
It’s unclear when Grande will return to public life. She will appear in the Meet The Parents sequel Focker-In-Law, which is scheduled for release in November
It has not been confirmed whether she will partake in promotional duties for the film
Grande is set to appear in the upcoming Meet The Parents movie ‘Focker-In-Law’ opposite Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro, which is scheduled for release in November.
However, it’s unclear whether she will return to the spotlight to take part in promotional duties for the movie at that time.
Meanwhile, a source told Page Six recently that Grande has been ‘overworked.’
An insider told the outlet that Grande has ‘been nonstop and it’s taking a toll. She’s never handled the public scrutiny well and constant chatter about her weight [doesn’t help].’
Insiders have told Our News Outlet that Grande’s inner circle is convinced she is ‘not well.’
‘We have asked her to take a break. Actually we’ve begged her, like a lot. A lot a lot,’ a family insider close to the star told Our News Outlet.
‘Not like a day or two, but a break break. She is not well. She is anxious and unhappy. She doesn’t sleep enough, doesn’t eat enough.’
The singer has addressed her weight multiple times over the years and has insisted that she’s healthy, despite the continued speculation around her shrinking frame.
Grande sparked concern with her thin frame in her latest music video (pictured)
Grande is pictured in 2018, which she claims was an ‘unhealthy’ time for her
‘There’s a comfortability that people have commenting on that that I think is really dangerous,’ she told YouTuber Sally in a 2024 interview.
‘I’ve been kind of doing this in front of the public and kind of been a specimen in a petri dish really since I was 16 or 17, so I have heard it all,’ she continued.
In a 2023 TikTok, Grande directly addressed concerns about her weight and explained that older photos of herself, where she wasn’t as thin, were actually taken during an unhealthy period in her life.
‘I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy, but that in fact wasn’t my healthy,’ she explained.
