As the Wicked press tour comes to a close, Ariana Grande is addressing the increasingly loud conversation around her body. During an interview with French content creator Crazy Sally, the actress got emotional when asked how she deals with the criticism as fans continue to observe her extremely thin appearance. “I’ve been doing this in front of the public and been a specimen in a petri dish, really, since I was 16 or 17,” Grande said. “I have heard it all. I’ve heard every version of it. You’re young and you’re hearing all kinds of things.”
“It’s hard to protect yourself from that noise … I’m really lucky to have the support system that I have and to just know and trust that I’m beautiful. But I do know what the pressure of that noise feels like,” Grande continued. “It’s been a resident in my life since I was 17. I just don’t invite it in anymore. I have work to do, I have a life to live, I have friends to love on. I have so much love. It’s not invited, so I don’t leave space for it anymore.”
Ariana Grande opens up about the public feeling overly comfortable criticizing her appearance:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 5, 2024
“I don’t invite it in anymore. It’s not welcome. I have work to do.” pic.twitter.com/CAusODqyZk
The 31-year-old went on to condemn the public’s comfort sharing their opinions about her appearance, calling it a practice that’s “dangerous for all parties involved.” Grande then encouraged anyone else in a similar situation to tune out the noise: “You keep yourself safe because no one has the right to say shit.” Of course, her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo was there beside her, offering a hand to hold and telling Grande how “proud” she was of her vulnerability.
Grande previously addressed concerns about her body in April 2023, posting a three-minute TikTok acknowledging that there are “many different ways to look healthy and beautiful.” Grande insisted that what many of her fans considered to be her normal weight was, to her, the “unhealthiest version” of her body.
“You never know what someone is going through, so even if you’re coming from a loving place or a caring place, that person probably is working on it or has a support system that they’re working on it with,” she said at the time. “You never know, so be gentle with each other and yourselves.”
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