For millions of fans, Ariana Grande is the living embodiment of endless self-confidence and that elusive quality that younger generations call “swag.”
But while Ari’s persona may be larger than life, she’s still a human being with real feelings and insecurities.
And when she reads hurtful comments about her appearance, she reacts the same way anyone else would.
In a heartbreaking new TikTok video, Ariana revealed that she feels the need to address the public’s recent “concerns” about her body.
“I think we could be, I think we should be, gentler and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies, no matter what,” Grande said.
“If you think you’re saying something good or well-intentioned, whatever it is — healthy, unhealthy, big, small, this, that, sexy, not sexy — we just shouldn’t. We should really work towards not doing that as much.”
It was a more quiet, subdued Ariana than fans are accustomed to seeing, and the seriousness of her tone underscored the gravity of her message.
“There are ways to compliment someone or to ignore something that you see that you don’t like that I think we should help each other work towards,” she added.
“Just to aim towards being safer and keeping each other safer.”
From there, Ariana made a very personal confession about the struggles she’s endured in recent years.
“Personally for me, the body that you’ve been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body,” she said.
“I was on a lot of antidepressants, and drinking on them, and eating poorly, and at the lowest points of my life when I looked the way you consider ‘my healthy,’ but that in fact wasn’t my healthy.”
It couldn’t have been easy for Ariana to share such a personal struggle with such a massive audience.
But the singer told fans that she hopes “something good might come” from opening up such a difficult conversation.
“Healthy can look different,” Grande continued.
“You never know what someone is going through, so even if you’re coming from a loving place or a caring place, that person probably is working on it or has a support system that they’re working on it with,” she added.
“You never know, so be gentle with each other and yourselves.”
Ariana married Dalton Gomez in 2021, and she’s been keeping a lower profile ever since — hopefully, because she’s getting all the love and support she needs at home.
With any luck, her remarks will lead those who might be tempted to comment on their own loved ones’ appearances to think twice before doing so.
Ariana Grande Slams Body-Shamers, Reveals Struggles With Alcohol, Depression was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.