That means she won't appear in her West End debut alongside Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey as planned, and fans think a small but upsetting detail in her new music video reveals the toll her time in the spotlight has taken on her. 

Grande dropped the music video for her song 'Petal' on Friday (31 July) following the release of her album of the same name and the video is not for the faint of heart. Starting with a real tone setter of a warning of 'explicit content' and 'graphic violence', the 'Petal' music video shows Grande playing a character called Pepper, who goes through a series of gruelling Hollywood auditions. 

She's rejected by a panel of old male producers, who describe her as 'unmarketable,' 'unattractive' and 'inauthentic'. Ariana Grande in the music video for 'Petal' (Republic Records) In comments that appear to echo internet trolling Grande has faced over the course of her career, one of the producers says: "The way you used to be, I missed that. "It's like, you got some personality disorder going on, is that the thing? 

"We miss the old you. Maybe you could go out and find her and come back and give it another shot." At this point, Pepper snaps and slaughters the four execs, leaving her drenched in blood. It's a far cry from the pretty in pink Glinda, but there was one particular detail that fans have spotted amid Grande's step back from public life. 

During the series of rejections, a producer can been seen writing critical notes of Pepper's performance and appearance, with one of the musings commenting on the character's weight. The note said: “lovely voice, very kind but - nothing special. boring on the eyes. a little homely! couldn’t hurt to lose a few LBS"

The note in the 'Petal' video (YouTube/Ariana Grande) Fans were quick to spot the detail, even though it only appears on screen for a couple of seconds. One fan writing on X said: "I feel like she’s pulling real comments she’s gotten from the public for this bc i swear i’ve read these exact words over the years."

Supporters showed sympathy, too, writing: "oh poor Ari:(" and "she truly deserves the biggest apology." 

Ariana Grande taking a step back from the public eye 

Grande was just 16 when she first became famous by playing Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon show Victorious and she has been in the public eye ever since. Now, however, she is moving out of the limelight amid 'endless' scrutiny about her physical appearance and health.

    Once her Eternal Sunshine tour ends on 1 September in London, she will be withdrawing from public appearances and will not be starring in the musical Sunday in the Park with George in London next year as scheduled. 

“Ariana will be taking a step back from visibility after she completes the Eternal Sunshine Tour," a representative of Grande told PEOPLE. 

“She looks forward to finishing the tour and ending it on a high note, both healthily and happily, and then taking a much-deserved break from public-facing work and appearances, which has led to endless, ongoing public scrutiny. Grande was left covered in 'blood' (YouTube/Ariana Grande) “This tour has been a beautiful experience for her. She loves her fans and has loved every minute of this tour so much. “She performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved. She performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.” 

The production company behind the musical, which is to be performed at the Barbican in 2027, said in a statement: “Following this evening’s announcement from Ariana Grande’s team, Empire Street Productions can confirm that she has decided to step back from Sunday in the Park with George. 

"We know this cannot have been an easy decision, and she makes it with our complete understanding and support. We wish her nothing but the best." It added that the production would go ahead as planned with the re-casting to be announced in due course. 

Grande wrote new record with 'unfiltered rage' Grande takes a chainsaw to the producers (YouTube/Ariana Grande) The music video's gory visuals match the darker tone of her eighth studio album. Grande has previously described her recent release as a 'little feral' and says she wrote the songs from a usually untapped inner source. 

 

Speaking to Apple Music, the Wicked star said: “It pulls from many different parts of myself and yet, at the same time, it is very experimental and different for me.

   

Which new Ariana Grande song are you most excited to hear? ꕤ 。˚
For more of Ariana’s thoughts on her new album, tune in to "petal radio" this Thursday at 5PM PT—only on Apple Music.https://t.co/i2wDRk1a3W pic.twitter.com/52stgDmixy

— Apple Music (@AppleMusic) July 29, 2026

“I wrote from a place that I don’t usually, which was like an unfiltered rage that I think we all feel sometimes.” She continued: “This time, I didn’t filter as much as I usually do. "I usually do a lot of rewrites and make things a little kinder. This time, I didn’t.”