LONDON — Ariana Grande will withdraw from public-facing work and appearances after completing her Eternal Sunshine Tour. The singer has also withdrawn from the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical "Sunday in the Park with George," citing endless, ongoing public scrutiny as the reason for her departure.

A representative for Ariana Grande stated she is taking a break due to this scrutiny. Empire Street Productions confirmed that Grande will no longer be part of the production. The company stated that new casting for the role will be announced in due course.

Grande addressed her decision to step back from visibility during a concert in Chicago on Monday night. She told the audience that the announcement was not a reactive or impulsive thing. "So basically, the announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing," Grande said. "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."

The singer emphasized the support she receives from her fans over external noise. "No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or elaborate to me than this love that we share," she said. "The rest of that shit is not mine to carry, so I don’t carry it."

A source close to she stated that she performs healthily and successfully at a high level during her tour. This assurance comes as Grande continues her scheduled performances. Her Eternal Sunshine Tour is scheduled to conclude on September 1 in London. She is scheduled to perform at the O2 Arena in London from August 15 to September 1.

The withdrawal impacts a major theatrical project in London. Grande was scheduled to star alongside Jonathan Bailey in the London production of "Sunday in the Park with George." The production is scheduled to take place at the Barbican Centre in London. Empire Street Productions stated the production will open at the Barbican in summer 2027 as planned.

The musical "Sunday in the Park with George" originally opened on Broadway in 1984 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The recent decision follows a period of intensified online speculation regarding Grande's physical appearance. This speculation increased after Grande released the music video for her song "Petal" on Friday.

Grande has previously spoken against body-shaming comments on social media. In 2023, she addressed body-shaming comments in a social media post that received over 1 million likes. She has previously spoken publicly about the impact of public scrutiny on her mental health, including in a 2023 TikTok video where she urged people to be gentler in commenting on others' bodies. In 2024, Grande shared a clip from an interview in which she described being 'a specimen in a petri-dish since I was 17.'