Throwback: When Ariana Grande Asked Her Fans To Be 'Less Comfortable' Commenting on Her Body; Revisit Amid Recent Body Shaming

Ariana Grande once urged fans to be "less comfortable" commenting on her body, advocating for kindness and understanding. We're revisiting her past remarks amid the recent shaming of her appearance.

By Seema Sinha

Updated on Nov 23, 2024 | 05:52 PM IST | 8.3K

Ariana Grande (Instagram)

Ariana Grande’s appearance has been the talk of the town ever since she began touring the press to promote her new movie Wicked, now playing in theaters. On most occasions, her appearance was praised, as she looked every bit like Glinda the Good Witch, the character she plays in the movie, dressed in hues of pink. However, on a handful of occasions, Grande’s appearance—and particularly her physical health—became a topic of discussion as critics remarked on her skinnier-than-ever physique.

Discourse on the internet ranged from calling the singer and actress "ghostly” and “skin and bones” to speculating if she was on Ozempic, a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes that has recently gained popularity for its weight-management attribute.

At a time like this, when the Thank U, Next singer is facing such harsh criticism about her health, it’s worth revisiting her earlier comments urging commentators to be “gentler and less comfortable” when remarking on her and others’ bodies, as no one can truly know what the subject of their comments might be dealing with in their personal life.

In an April 2023 TikTok video, according to the BBC, Grande said she “wanted to address” a few concerns about her body that people were paying “such close attention to” recently.

Grande, then 29, began by noting that people online were comparing her current body to an unhealthier version of herself when she weighed more because she was on antidepressants, eating poorly, and at the lowest point in her life.

The pop star recognized at the time that while she "shouldn’t have to explain" herself, she hoped her openness and vulnerability would encourage others to reflect on their opinions before sharing them online.

Another thing Grande hoped her transparency would achieve was to open people’s minds to “many different kinds of beautiful.”

On a different note, Grande suggested that even those coming from a place of care and love should refrain from voicing well-intentioned remarks about someone’s body, as the person in question may already be addressing the issue. Even if not, in worst-case scenarios, it could be a health complication preventing them from being in their best physical health.

The latter part of the Disney alum’s comment was quoted by her fans on X when they defended her amid the Wicked criticism. The God Is a Woman singer’s admirers reminded trolls of the time when Chadwick Boseman was secretly dealing with cancer while being body-shamed online for his skinnier-than-usual appearance.

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