Ariana Grande has a message for anyone who will listen: Stop commenting on each other’s bodies.
During the London leg of the “Wicked” press tour, Grande reflected on the criticism surrounding her body over the course of her career. The conversation took place with French journalist Salima Jeanne Poumbga, known professionally as Sally, in an interview with Grande’s co-star Cynthia Erivo.
“How do you cope with beauty standards to critics?” Sally asked. “Because this is something that is so overwhelming for women to always look perfect. How do you deal with that?”
The question visibly struck an emotional chord with Grande. “My goodness,” she replied before taking a pause to collect herself. “I’m not gonna…”
The moment set the tone for an intimate discussion on the weight of societal beauty ideals as Grande reflected on her own life.
“I’ve been kind of doing this in front of the public and kind of been, you know, a specimen in a petri dish, really, since I was 16 or 17,” Grande explained, adding that commentary about her appearance has been a constant presence in her life. “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.”
This isn’t the first time Grande has spoken on this topic. In April 2023, she addressed the mounting speculation she faced about her health and body with a post on TikTok.
“I just wanted to address your concerns about my body and talk a little bit about what it means to a person with a body and to be seen … to be paid this close attention to,” she explained. “I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies, no matter what.”
In her interview with Sally, Grande acknowledged that the experience of such criticism isn’t isolated to just celebrities.
“Even just the simplest thing, your appearance, you know, you’re young, and you’re hearing all kinds of things, it’s hard to protect yourself from that noise,” she said. “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?’ It’s like, that is something that is uncomfortable and horrible no matter where it’s happening, no matter the scale it’s happening on.”
The Grammy winner underlined the dangers of this tendency to take it upon ourselves to comment on others’ appearances.
“In today’s society, there’s 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 said. “There’s a comfortability that people have commenting on that that I think is really dangerous.”
She went on to credit her personal support system for keeping her grounded and confident.
“I’m really lucky to have the support system that I have and to just know and trust that I’m beautiful,” she said. “I know what the pressure of that noise feels like. It’s been a resident in my life since I was 17, and I just don’t invite it in anymore. It’s not welcome.”
The singer also took some credit for herself, noting that she’s learned how to focus on what matters to her most when the pressure becomes too loud.
