Ariana Grande gushed about her “Petal” music video days after her team announced that she will take a “step back” from the public eye amid intense “scrutiny” of her appearance.
“Blooming and firmly planted . . ꕤ,” the pop star, 33, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, August 5, alongside several behind-the-scenes photos from the music video’s set.
“I love this video with my entire heart & must express my deepest, endless gratitude to my brilliant collaborators and friends who have brought this song of mine to life with me and who helped tell this story,” Grande continued. “Thank you to everyone who gave their brilliance, care and time.”
Grande’s rep revealed the “7 Rings” singer’s plans to take “a step back from visibility” following the end of her Eternal Sunshine Tour on September 1. (Grande will perform 10 shows at London’s O2 Arena beginning on August 15.)
“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,” her spokesperson told People on Sunday, August 2. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”
After the music video for “Petal” was released on Friday, July 31, social media users began a viral discourse about Grande’s appearance, with some expressing concern for the Wicked actress and alleging that she is secretly battling an eating disorder.
Grande addressed her decision to take a break during her tour stop in Chicago on Monday, August 3.
“Is it OK if we get a little real tonight?” she asked. “Sometimes when a story comes out that’s not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion, so I just wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight, because I love you so much.”
Grande explained, “The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I had decided, a plan I had quietly made a long time ago, and it’s a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.”
The actress also addressed fans who are “worried that ‘negativity’ was ruining things for me,” insisting that is not the case.
“I want you to know that many things can be true at the same time,” she continued. “Boundaries can need to be set, human beings can need a break sometimes, and also, this can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional career. 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 than this love that we share and how it feels to make art with people that I love and respect. Absolutely nothing will change that.”
Grande called the tour “the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life.”
“I wish words were enough to articulate just how much I love you all. Now we can keep going,” she concluded.
