In recent weeks, Ariana Grande has been on the receiving end of many comments about her body, with people expressing "concerns" about the way she looks.
Grande unfortunately saw these comments and took to TikTok to request that people consider their words more carefully, and avoid commenting on others' bodies entirely—however well-intentioned they believe they are being.
"I just wanted to address your concerns about my body and talk a little bit about what it means to be a person with a body, and to be seen, and to be paid such close attention to," she said.
"I think we should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on people's bodies—no matter what. If you think you're saying something good or well-intentioned, whatever it is, healthy, unhealthy, big, small, this, that, sexy, not sexy, I don't... we just shouldn't. We should really work towards not doing that as much. 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."
The star also addressed the comments about her own body specifically, and what these supposed "concerns" about her health get wrong about her actual health. (Reminder that you can't tell how healthy someone is simply by looking at them, and that even if you could, it's not your place to comment on that.)
"I just also wanted to say, one, there are many different kinds of beautiful," Grande continued.
"There are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful, and 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,' but that in fact wasn't my healthy... And I know I shouldn't have to explain that but I do feel like maybe having an openness and some sort of vulnerability here will be... Something good might come of it, I don't know."
The "Thank U, Next" singer ended the video by sending love to everyone watching, and telling them they're all beautiful.
@arianagrande ♡
♬ original sound - arianagrande
Fans flocked to the comments to criticize body-shamers and send their support to Grande.
One person wrote, "y’all are so comfortable going online to talk about other people’s bodies. it’s very weird behavior that is unfortunately so normalized."
Noah Schnapp commented, "I love you"
Another fan said, "it never had to reach this point for there to be a need for her to address the way she looked. ariana we love u & ur beautiful, u deserve the world"
Sadly, women in the public eye are constantly having to defend themselves against people who think their bodies should look different. Selena Gomez regularly takes to social media to respond to body-shamers, and more recently, Halle Berry clapped back at someone who disapproved of her posing nude for a photo. Seriously, make it stop.
