Ariana Grande says ‘boundaries need to be set’ after announcing step back

Ariana Grande is speaking out following the announcement of her decision to step away from the public eye after her current tour wraps up.

As previously reported, Ariana’s team issued a statement over the weekend saying she would be “taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny,” including dropping out of a West End revival of Sunday in the Park with George.

Ariana addressed fans at her concert at Chicago’s United Center Monday night, and her comments were later shared on social media.

“So basically, the announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing,” Ariana said. “It is something that I had decided. It’s a plan that I had quietly made a long time ago and it’s a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place.”

“I heard that my fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me, but I just have to say, that could not be more the f*** opposite,” she continued, to a loud cheer from the audience.

“Multiple things can be true at the same time. Boundaries need to be set, human beings can need a break sometimes, and also, this can be, and will continue to be, the greatest experience of my professional career and life,” she noted, adding, “So I just wanted to make that quite plain.”

Her Eternal Sunshine tour concludes its Chicago run on Aug. 6; Ariana then heads to London to wrap up with 10 shows at the O2 Arena.

Meanwhile, for the next 24 hours, a special iTunes edition of her album petal, called hello, i love to sing, is available for download, featuring live versions of the songs “stay” and “oh well.”