Ariana Grande Pauses Chicago Show To Give Speech About Public Break

Ariana Grande released her new album petal last Friday, but widespread public concern about the star's health and appearance has been louder than any reaction to the music. For several years, Grande has looked emaciated, potentially to the point of danger, and that impression has only grown since the launch of her Eternal Sunshine tour and since she shared her video for "petal," her new album's title track. Over the weekend, Grande's reps said that she would take "a step back from visibility" after the end of her tour. At her show in Chicago on Monday night, she gave a speech about it.In a statement to People, Grande's reps said, "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." As a result, she has pulled out of plans to perform in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical Sundays In The Park With George on London's West End next year. Grande's ongoing tour her first in seven years, kicked off a three-night stand at Chicago's United Center last night. The remaining two gigs will be the last North American ...