Source : the age
Ariana Grande has dropped out of her debut role in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1984 musical Sunday in the Park with George due to “ongoing public scrutiny” amid growing concerns about her weight loss.
Reps for the Wicked star told People on Monday morning (AEST) that the three-time Grammy Award winner “will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine tour,” in support of Grande’s 2024 album of the same name.
“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.
“This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
Before the announcement, fans and commentators expressed concerns about Grande’s wellbeing online after a newly released music video for her latest song, Petal, shows her appearing extremely thin.
In the music video, a casting director character is seen making notes about Grande’s audition, writing “it couldn’t hurt to lose a little”.
British actor and comedian Jameela Jamil was among those who expressed concern about Grande, stating “this poor woman is possibly dying right in front of us”, and arguing that the pop star’s team was responsible for the image being pushed to younger audiences.
“This outfit is designed to accentuate the thinness for discourse. Her team are thoroughly irresponsible for not guiding her away from this deeply damaging image for her young fans to see so glamorised,” Jamil commented beneath one of Grande’s Instagram posts promoting the music video.
Jamil later took to her Instagram story to explain that, while uncomfortable, conversations about Grande’s weight should take place amid the broader context of celebrity thinness culture.
“The shrinking pop star situation is something of a trolley problem,” Jamil said. “If we comment on [Grande’s] body, we could harm her mental health, which would be awful and nobody wants that. If we don’t comment on her body, we run the risk of normalising that image to hundreds of millions of teenage girls, kids and even impressionable adults, consuming her content.
“Content which is pointedly accentuating her bones and tiny frame with belts and corsets. I think it’s worth considering that the pop star in question has access to a lot of mental health care and the best facilities on the planet, whereas the fans watching largely don’t.
“Many have no support system equipped to handle the deadly clutches of anorexia. Her most recent images are flooding pro-anorexia websites, and teenage girls are saying ‘goals’.”
Meanwhile, model and author Charli Howard also took to Instagram to share her discomfort with Grande’s music video, saying that even as an activist for body positivity it’s been an ongoing battle to accept her own recent weight gain.
“I think it’s vital we discuss imagery/videos/content like these and the damage they can – and will – have on women and girls. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS NOT NORMAL,” Howard wrote.
“Over the past few weeks, as images of Ariana’s concert get plastered around online, I obviously see comments from worried fans, but I also see other people convincing others that she looks ‘healthy’, or that she has simply ‘lost puppy fat’.
“I think it is absolutely appalling, from both a moral and capitalistic standpoint, to have released these videos and an album when this person needs psychiatric help and hospitalisation.
“I truly, truly hope she gets the help that she so desperately needs. We do not need a repeat of the early 2000s.”
Grande’s latest album, Petal, was released on July 31. Sunday in the Park with George was slated to run in June next year.
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Kayla Olaya is a culture reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
