Ariana Grande is back in the music world after taking a hiatus to focus on another dream job.
The 32-year-old singer and actress starred as Glinda in the two-part film adaptation of the renowned Broadway play “Wicked.”
After landing the role in 2021, she spent years immersed in the production, from rehearsals and filming to the global promotional tour that followed the film’s release.
Ariana Grande’s first music video sends ending ‘Wicked’ sparks more concerns about her physical health. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
After that concluded in November 2025, Grande announced the upcoming release of her eighth studio album, “Petals,” in April.
On May 29, she dropped her leading track “Hate That I Made You Love Me” along with a lyric video.
The fan response has been positive, but some have growing concerns after the “Thank You Next” singer released a music video for the song on June 1.
Featuring “Jeepers Creepers” star Justin Long, the cinematic video opens up to the actor burying his girlfriend (Grande) in an attempt to move on with his life.
All the while, no matter where he goes, he can’t escape her ghost that is haunting him.
Dressed in a yellow dress with her hair partially pulled up, Grande looks sweet at first glance. But her expressionless face and low vocal tone were dark and ghostly.
Neither of those things worried fans; it was Grande’s appearance that concerned some.
Sorry, but she looks sick :/ (no shade) she’s stunning and all of that, but she looks very skinny and we can see her bones
pic.twitter.com/DAbVQqspCz
— Francisco ☭ (@theneondemonn_) June 1, 2026
One person said, “If I was one of her family or friends I’d be very worried her, she really doesn’t look very healthy or happy at all.”
“She is in the deep grips of an eating disorder. If you can see the ribcage bones, and you can, this is where things have gotten out of control. People can go to sleep and not wake up from so much tax on the body for years on end,” said one person.
Another wrote, “Sorry, but she looks sick :/ (no shade) she’s stunning and all of that, but she looks very skinny and we can see her bones :(.”
A third person typed, “She should have shed the Wicked look; it’s not good. We’ve been here before how is this look back as a ‘beauty standard’ in this day and age?”
“God she still is so anorexic she never looked like this pre wicked,” said another.
Media coverage of “Wicked” parts one and two sparked a lot of chatter about the health of their lead actors, Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who played Elphaba, after people noticed how drastically they had gotten thinner.
While both were slender to begin with, while filming, the bones in their chests became more prominent and their arms and faces became slimmer.
Even the bones in Grande’s back became more visible.
While filming and promoting, she’s attempted to shut down the criticism by stating several times that people should be less inclined to comment on other people’s bodies.
One of the more notable times was back in 2023, when she released a TikTok over three minutes long, in which she further explained why there was such a drastic change.
About 89 seconds into the clip, Grande said, “Personally for me, the body that you’ve been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body. I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy.”
She reminded fans that “healthy can look different” and that no one knows “what someone is going through.”
“So even if you are coming from a loving place and a caring place, that person probably is working on it or has a support system that they are working on it with and you never know. So be gentle with each other and with yourselves.”
An inside source told Page Six that the demanding schedules to film “Wicked” coupled up with the scrutiny of her relationship with co-star Ethan Slater could have allegedly been taking a toll on her already documented anxiety.
Now that she’s done with the film, it seems she hasn’t regained much, if any, of the weight she had before.
But instead of listening to the noise of the people, she appears to be focused on her work.
With “Wicked” behind her, Grande appears unfazed by the ongoing discussion about her appearance and remains focused on her next chapter.
In addition to her latest album, she is set to appear in the upcoming “Focker-In-Law” film as Olivia Jones. She also recently shared a video explaining the meaning behind her song “Petal.”
As for “Petal,” she released a video sharing more information about the meaning of it.
She said, “It’s kind of about breaking up with all different kinds of negative attachments, whether it’s my own monsters in my own head, external voices, things that no longer serve me. I could be talking about one thing, sharing something, and people could use it however they want and apply it to their own lives.”
“Petal” will be released on July 31.
