Ariana Grande has spoken out about her upcoming break from her professional career after a representative said that she will step out of the public eye following the conclusion of her “Eternal Sunshine” tour in early September.
During her first of three performances at Chicago’s United Center on Monday night, Grande paused at the front of the stage to address news of her upcoming hiatus, which coincided with the announcement that she would be dropping out of Stephen Sondheim’s West End revival of “Sunday in the Park With George.”
“So basically, the announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing,” she told the crowd. “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. And I want you to know many things can be true at the same time. I heard that my fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me, but I just have to say that could not be more the fuck opposite. Honestly, this is not what that is. And I just want to be very, very clear: Multiple things can be true at the same time. Yes, boundaries, they 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 and creative life.
