Ariana Grande, 33, could not hold back her tears onstage at London’s O2 Arena.
It was Tuesday night, the final night of the 41 shows on her ‘Eternal Sunshine’ tour, which began in June in Oakland. Through her tears, she thanked her fans and said she would always treasure that experience, just as her public image had been under scrutiny for months.
Days earlier, she had taken a step back: she withdrew from starring in the play ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ in London, alongside Jonathan Bailey, her co-star in ‘Wicked’, who also ended up pulling out of the project.
A representative had confirmed to People, on August 2, that Ariana would take a ‘very well-deserved’ break after bringing the tour to a triumphant close.
But during a later show in Chicago, she herself felt the need to clarify something: the decision did not stem from the negativity directed at her, but rather was something she had been planning for a long time.
“Human beings sometimes need a break”, she said.
The question that lingers is whether that explanation allays the doubts or multiplies them.