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Ariana Grande taking break from public appearances, exits West End show amid ‘public scrutiny’

Ariana Grande attending the 83rd Golden Globes awards at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, January 11, 2026. (by Sthanlee Mirador/PA Images via Getty Images)

Ariana Grande plans to step back from public appearances after completing The Eternal Sunshine Tour, her representative confirmed to ABC News.

The singer will also no longer star in the upcoming West End revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George, which would have reunited her with her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.

“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour,” her representative said in a statement to ABC News on Sunday.

“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,” the statement continued. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”

A source close to Grande said the singer is disappointed to leave the production but remains supportive of the creative team.

“She cannot wait to support the brilliant team bringing this project to life,” the source added.

The representative did not specify what prompted Grande’s decision to step back, though the statement cited “endless, ongoing public scrutiny” tied to her public-facing work and appearances.

Grande’s appearance has been the subject of public discussion and body-shaming in recent years, with renewed online commentary following the release of the music video for her latest single, “Petal,” from her newly released album of the same name.

The Grammy winner has previously addressed comments about her body, including in her 2024 song “Yes, And?,” in which she sings, “Don’t comment on my body.”

Grande launched her The Eternal Sunshine Tour in June in Oakland, California. After wrapping up the remaining U.S. dates, she will head to London, where the tour is scheduled to conclude Sept. 1.

The tour marks Grande’s return to the stage after several years focused on acting and recording music, including her starring role as Glinda in the Wicked films.

After the tour concludes, Grande is next set to appear on the big screen in Focker-in-Law, the latest installment of the Meet the Parents franchise, alongside Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters Nov. 25.

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Morocco blames Ceuta border surge on misleading info spread online

▶ Watch Video: Death toll mounts after migrants rush into Spain from Morocco, find little help Morocco is blaming last week's massive surge of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on various factors, including "malicious exploitation of digital platforms" and the spread of misleading information. Most of the migrants were sent back home by Spanish officials after the sudden — and deadly — border rush.A Moroccan official said late Sunday that the surge of thousands of migrants last week into Ceuta, a small Spanish city on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, was "not the result of circumstantial or spontaneous factors.""They were the outcome of the interaction of several overlapping factors, foremost among them the malicious exploitation of digital platforms, the dissemination of misleading information, the role of human trafficking networks, and the misinterpretation of legal and administrative information aimed at creating the false impression that entry into the European area could be achieved easily and without legal consequences," said Ministry of Interior spokesman Rachid El Khalfi.Some Moroccan migrants told CBS News they saw social media posts stating, "Spain is an open door," along with videos of people swimming from Morocco to Ceuta. It was unclear who was behind the social media claims.Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez last week blamed the sharp increase in crossings on "human trafficking mafias" trying to exploit a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that makes it harder to turn away migrants arriving from Morocco by sea. One young man said he saw posts referencing the court ruling. The people who spoke to CBS News said they did not have premeditated plans to come to Spain, but made the spontaneous decision to swim when they saw others doing it. Migrants wait on the beach next to an immigrant center known as CETI (Centros de Estancia Temporal de Inmigrantes) on Aug. 2, 2026, in Ceuta. Adri Salido/Getty Images
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