Ariana Grande steps back from West End debut as ‘Petal’ video sparks concern

Pop star Ariana Grande has dropped out of what would have been her debut appearance in London’s West End, the show’s producers said Sunday, as the singer’s representative said she wants to take a “step back” from the public eye.

The 33-year-old Grande had been slated to star opposite her Wicked castmate Jonathan Bailey in the Stephen Sondheim musical Sunday in the Park with George in the summer of 2027 at London’s Barbican theatre.

But amid renewed public scrutiny of the singer’s health, especially on social media, her representative said she wanted a “much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances” when her Eternal Sunshine tour wraps in London on 1 September.

“We can confirm that she has decided to step back from Sunday in The Park with George ,” producers said in a statement carried on the show’s official X account, without providing a reason for Grande’s withdrawal.