Ariana Grande breaks silence after revealing plans to step back from public life

Ariana Grande has finally revealed why she is taking a break from her career.

During her performance at Chicago’s United Center on Monday, the 33-year-old pop star took a moment to clarify that negative comments and speculation regarding her health have not “destroyed” her career.

“The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing. It is something that I had decided to plan,” Ariana said. “It is something that I have decided, a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago.”

For those unversed, a rep for the pop star recently announced that Ariana would step back from the spotlight after concluding her Eternal Sunshine tour in September.

The 7 Rings hitmaker told the crowd that it was not true that “negativity” was “ruining things for me.”

“No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or not as real to me as this love that we share,” she said.

Concluding her speech, Ariana described her Eternal Sunshine Tour as “one of the most healing, beautiful, correct, and special experiences” of her life.

“That felt good,” the Petal songstress said before resuming the concert. “I wish that words were enough to articulate how much I love you.”

On Sunday, a spokesperson for the pop star told People magazine that “Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour.”

“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” added a representative. “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much.”