Ariana Grande recently opened up about dealing with public scrutiny surrounding her weight and appearance, addressing the topic with raw honesty during an interview on the Oui Oui Baguette podcast in France.
The 31-year-old pop star and Wicked actress got emotional when asked how she copes with beauty standards, particularly amidst swirling rumours about her body during the press tour for her upcoming movie. With her costar Cynthia Erivo offering support, Ariana delved into her experience of being in the public eye since she was a teenager.
“I’ve been kind of doing this in front of the public and kind of been a specimen in a petri dish really since I was 16 or 17, so I have heard it all,” Ariana shared. “I’ve heard every version of it, of what’s wrong with me. And then you fix it, and then it’s wrong for different reasons. But that’s everything… even just the simplest thing… your appearance, you know?”
The singer admitted that enduring such scrutiny is never easy. “It’s hard to protect yourself from that noise,” she said. “It is uncomfortable and horrible no matter where it’s coming from.” Ariana explained that this type of commentary isn’t limited to celebrities—it’s a societal issue many people face.
“I think that it’s something that is uncomfortable no matter what scale you’re experiencing it on,” she noted. “Even if you go to Thanksgiving dinner and someone’s granny says, ‘Oh my God, you look skinnier! What happened?’ or ‘You look heavier! What happened?’”
Ariana used her platform to stress the dangers of normalising commentary on people’s bodies and appearances. “I think in today’s society, there is a comfortability that we shouldn’t have—at all—commenting on others’ looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes or health or how they present themselves,” she explained.
She elaborated further, saying, “From what you’re wearing to your body to your face to your everything—there’s a comfortability that people have commenting on that that I think is really dangerous.”
The pressure of being under constant scrutiny is something Ariana knows all too well, but she’s now setting boundaries to protect her mental health and well-being. While she acknowledged the toll it has taken on her in the past, she made it clear that those comments are no longer welcome in her life.
“It’s not welcome. I have work to do, I have a life to live, I have friends to love on, I have so much love, and it’s not invited, so I don’t leave space for it anymore,” she said.
