Ariana Grande isn’t letting the rumor mill write her final act.
Just days after news broke that she’ll step away from the spotlight once the Eternal Sunshine Tourwraps in September, the pop superstar used her Chicago concert to clear the air—and reassure fans that the decision has been in the works for a long time.
Reading from a prepared note, Grande told the crowd, “The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I had decided to plan,” adding that she made the decision “quietly, a long time ago.”
She also shut down speculation that online criticism pushed her toward the break.
“No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or not as real to me as this love that we share,” she told cheering fans.
Before jumping back into the show, Grande reflected on the tour, calling it “one of the most healing, beautiful, correct and special experiences” of her life.
“That felt good,” she said. “I wish that words were enough to articulate how much I love you.”
Hours before taking the stage, Grande posted, “See you tonight, my sweethearts!!! I cannot wait and love you so.”
Her team recently confirmed the singer will take “a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances” after the tour ends, though fans won’t have to wait long to see her on screen.
Grande is set to star alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in Focker-in-Law, arriving in theaters on November 25.
2026-08-04 11:13:00
