Ariana Grande opens up about facing pressure and weight loss speculations with raw emotion

A defiant Ariana Grande has revealed how she shields herself from the societal pressure to appear perfect.

During a joint promotion for the musical Wicked alongside her co-star Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, 31, was questioned by French influencer and journalist Sally about how she handles criticism regarding her looks and beauty standards in general.

The question struck a chord with Ariana, who paused momentarily to gather her thoughts and seemingly hold back tears. 

Ariana, who has recently attracted attention from fans due to her noticeable weight loss, shared that she has been facing such criticism since her teenage years. Despite this, she mentioned that she has developed the ability to block out negative comments by focusing on her work and surrounding herself with supportive friends.

Following Sally’s inquiry, Grande displayed a moment of emotion, pausing briefly while receiving a comforting gesture from Cynthia, 37, who reached out with a reassuring hand. She responded, saying, ‘My goodness… Good question,’ indicating the depth of the query posed to her.

‘I’ve been kind of doing this in front of the public… a specimen in a petri dish really since I was 16 or 17. So I have heard it all,’ she said.

‘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 but that’s everything from even just the simple thing, your appearance, you’re young and you’re hearing all those things.’

‘It’s hard to protect yourself from that noise. And it’s something that’s uncomfortable no matter what scale you’re experiencing on. 

No matter where the comment originates from, Ariana insists it’s all difficult to deal with, even if it’s from a family member.  

‘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?” That is something that is uncomfortable and horrible no matter where it’s happening, no matter the scale it’s happening on. I think in today’s society there’s a comfortability that we shouldn’t have at all. 

‘Commenting on other’s looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes, or health, or how they present themselves. From what you’re wearing to your body to your face to your everything.’

She defiantly called the ‘comfortability’ people have with ‘commenting’ on people’s appearance ‘dangerous.’  

‘There’s a comfortability that people have commenting on that that I think is really dangerous. And I think it’s dangerous for all parties involved,’ she said.

Ariana now makes no room for the criticism: ‘I just don’t invite it in anymore, it’s not welcome. I have work to do, I have a life to live, I have friends to love on, I have so much love! And it’s not invited, I don’t leave space for it anymore.’

‘And however you all can protect yourselves from that noise, whether it’s at a family reunion or online… I don’t care if you have to delete your app entirely, you keep yourself safe because no one has the right to say s**t.’ 

The interview comes after Ariana sparked concern over her new blonde, slimmed down look with fans expressing fears she looked ‘very fragile’. 

In news related to the film, the National Board of Review put its full support behind Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, naming the lavish musical the best film of the year, Chu best director and awarding its stars, Erivo and Grande, a prize for their collaboration, in awards announced Wednesday.

Already a box-office force, Wicked is also embarking on an awards campaign expected to make it a major Academy Awards contender. Ariana plays Glinda while Cynthia plays Elphaba. 

The National Board of Review, a long-running New York-based organization comprised of film enthusiasts and academics founded in 1909, has no correlation with the film academy.

But the win hands Wicked some early momentum ahead of Monday’s Golden Globe nominations, where it should perform well.

‘Wicked represents the pure magic that movies can bring to audiences,’ said Annie Schulhof, NBR president. ‘Every detail is beautifully crafted and designed, the actors are all exceptional and the music is second-to-none – together it adds up to a transporting experience like no other.’

The NBRs add to the recent run of prizes dished out this week, including the Gotham Awards on Monday, the New York Film Critics Circle on Tuesday and the Spirit Awards nominations announced Wednesday.