Ariana Grande Chokes up Over Comments About Her Appearance

Ariana Grande is responding to comments about her appearance in an emotional new interview. In a conversation with her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo and influencer Crazy Sally, Grande, 31, couldn’t help but get emotional looking back on all the critiques she’s faced surrounding her looks over the years.

“I’ve been doing this in front of the public and been a specimen in a Petri dish really since I was 16 or 17. I have heard it all. I’ve heard every version of it,” the singer and actress said after composing herself. “You’re young and you’re hearing all kinds of things.”

“It’s hard to protect yourself from that noise,” she continued. “It’s something that is uncomfortable no matter what scale you’re experiencing it on, 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?’”

Grande said it’s “dangerous” how comfortable people have gotten sharing their thoughts on someone else’s appearance or lifestyle, noting that personally she’s been able to tune out the noise over the years by leaning on her loved ones.

“I’m really lucky to have the support system that I have and to just know and trust that I’m beautiful,” the “God Is a Woman” singer explained. “But I do know what the pressure of that noise feels like. It’s been a resident in my life since I was 17. I just don’t invite it in anymore. I have work to do, I have a life to live, I have friends to love on. I have so much love. It’s not invited, so I don’t leave space for it anymore.”

Grande urged others to follow in her footsteps when it comes to protecting themselves, advising, “You keep yourself safe because no one has the right to say s-.”

This isn’t the first time Grande has spoken out about the conversation surrounding her appearance. In April 2023, the Grammy winner took to TikTok to condemn comments saying she looked unhealthily thin.

“There are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful. And personally, for me, the body that you’ve been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body,” she explained. “I was on a lot of anti-depressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy, but that, in fact, wasn’t my healthy.”