Ariana Grande has been keeping a low profile as she channels Glinda on set for the new film adaptation of Wicked, which comes out November 2024. Since she’s kept out of the spotlight, there have been few appearances, performances, and photos shared of the singer. This week, the actress shocked fans after sharing her most recent look in a new photo for R.E.M. Beauty, which began a storm of body-shaming comments about apparent “concern” over her thinness.
It got so out of hand, the singer-actress came forward in a powerful new TikTok video to address the comments—she urged fans to be “gentler and less comfortable” when commenting on people’s bodies.
She began her video with the caption, “You have talked a lot about it over the past decade or longer so I’d like to join in this time.” Talk about reclaiming the narrative!
Ariana Grande Comes Forward And Asks Fans To Stop Body Shaming In Now Viral TikTok
"I don't do this often; I don't like it; I'm not good at it," The Voice judge started on her now-viral video, which has garnered over 12 million likes. "But I just wanted to address your concerns about my body and talk about what it means to be a person with a body and to be seen and paid such close attention to."
As mentioned, fans reacted with a bit of shock to the pop star's latest campaign shot for R.E.M. Beauty, which was flooded with comments about her appearing "thinner" than before. Now, the songstress is addressing the unwarranted concerns.
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Grande continued, "I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies, no matter what. If you think you're saying something good or well-intentioned, whatever it is: healthy, unhealthy, big, small, this, that, sexy, not sexy." She stated, "We should really work towards not doing that as much."
She listed two points on why the public should stop focusing on people's appearances: one, beautiful and healthy comes in all shapes and sizes; and two, everyone has their own battles they're facing. Being kind is the best choice.
The singer said for one, "There are many different kinds of beautiful," adding, "I know personally, for me, the body you've been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body."
She stated that the "healthy" fans are comparing her current body to are not what she considers her best self, noting that she was "on a lot of anti-depressants and drinking" when she looked that way and was eating a poor diet. She called that version of herself, "the lowest point of [her] life."
"The second thing is you never know what someone is going through... even if you are coming from a loving place or caring place," she added. "Be gentle with each other and with yourselves."
@arianagrande♬ original sound - arianagrande
Ariana Grande Receives Outpour Of Support
From the comments on her original video to Twitter threads embracing the popstar's vulnerability, the Internet has poured support onto the Thank You, Next singer.
One user commented under the video, "Absolutely love this. No one deserves to have their body commented on especially when you don't truly know the person. Thank you, Ariana," which received over 39k likes in support.
Another added, "You shouldn't have to explain yourself, no good comes from commenting on people's bodies."
The video sparked discourse on Twitter, where users compared Grande's video to Selena Gomez's recent TikTok Live when she addressed fans' concerns over her weight fluctuations caused by her lupus.
Both Ariana and Selena reminded fans in their videos that they are "not models," alluding to the high amount of pressure they face to always look perfect.
A viral tweet said, "Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande shouldn’t have to go on a public platform to explain their weight because of abhorrent criticism." They added, "It's nasty, cruel, and unfair, especially today."
selena gomez and ariana grande shouldn’t have to go on a public platform to explain their weight gain/loss because of abhorrent criticism. its nasty, cruel and unfair especially today. pic.twitter.com/fVaNpmMjvj
— ً (@letsmegetme) April 11, 2023
There has been a huge move to body positivity in recent years, but with algorithms that feed off insecurities and consistently shove perfectly-sculpted faces and bodies into our feeds, we're forced to higher expectations, resulting in immense criticism for people in the public eye like Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande.
Bella Hadid Commends Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande's TikTok caught the attention of fellow superstar Bella Hadid, who reposted the video onto her Instagram feed.
She pinned it to her profile and wrote, "There is always a reason for the way people look/feel, so try to be soft, especially when you don’t know someone or what they’ve been through."
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Despite being a supermodel known for her looks, the younger Hadid sister reminded fans that life is deeper than the curated images we see online. "Instagram is not real and we need to look deeper and consciously remind ourselves that each of us is just human beings trying our best," she wrote.
She followed up her supportive post with a helpful notes-app screenshot on how to compliment people without centering their appearance as their main asset.
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We can all do with a little less judgment and a little more empathy. This is just the start of the conversation—and for that Ariana Grande, we thank you.
