Ariana Grande has said her decision to step away from public appearances after The Eternal Sunshine Tour was planned long before recent discussions about her appearance.
Speaking during her concert in Chicago, the singer said the decision was not made in response to public criticism.
“The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I had decided. It’s a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago,” she told fans.
A representative also confirmed that Grande plans to finish the tour before taking what was described as a well-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances.
The 33-year-old has recently faced renewed public discussion about her health and physical appearance following the release of her music video for “Petal.”
Grande, however, said the comments did not influence her decision.
“I heard that my fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me, but that could not be more the opposite,” she said.
She added that setting boundaries is important and said taking a break would not change how she feels about the tour, describing it as one of the greatest experiences of her career.
