The star has taken a "step back" from the spotlight after appearances led to "endless, ongoing public scrutiny".

Grande has cancelled appearances including a starring role in a stage musical in London next year Three years ago, Ariana Grande made a plea for people not to comment about her body. Responding in a TikTok video to comments about her weight and figure, the pop star and actress told fans there were "many different ways to look healthy and beautiful". Three years on, and the social media speculation about her body and her health has continued. After "endless, ongoing public scrutiny", the star's spokesperson released a statement saying she "will be taking a step back from visibility" at the end of her current tour. "She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily," the statement stressed, "and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny." It follows the release of her eighth studio album Petal and the graphic video for its title track on Friday. The song refers to the pressures of fame, and the video shows Grande as a starlet who tries out for a group of talent scouts, dressing as a variety of different pop star personas. None are deemed good enough. The men initially inform her that it "couldn't hurt" to lose some weight, among other things, before they tell the final persona that they miss "the way you used to be".