Frankie Grande has spoken out in support of his sister Ariana Grande after weeks of public discussion surrounding her health and appearance.
On Instagram Friday, the Titanique performer shared an emotional post to celebrate the final North American date of Ariana’s Eternal Sunshine tour, paying tribute to her as the run came to a close.
‘I will have your back until the end of time,’
His post arrived after Ariana’s team said she would be:
‘stepping back from visibility’
That change is expected to begin after the European leg wraps in London on September 1.
The decision followed months of online speculation about the singer’s body, which picked up further around the November release of Wicked: For Good and the promotion of her new album, Petal. Concern and commentary from fans grew louder after the July 31 debut of the title track’s music video. The increased scrutiny that emerged after the music video’s release prompted a fresh wave of social media discussion analyzing her appearance, with some fans expressing concern for her health while others questioned whether such speculation contributes to the cycle of body commentary the singer has repeatedly asked the public to end.
In his tribute, Frankie reflected on the final Chicago show of the North American leg, describing it as:
‘a beautiful celebration of your artistry’
He also praised the community Ariana has created, calling it the:
‘eternal sunshine family’
Frankie added:
‘You are my everything and I am so so happy I was there to see you shine on this tour one last time,’
He ended the message with another note of encouragement:
‘I am so proud of you and so happy for you. Family forever.’
Earlier in the week, Ariana addressed the speculation during a Chicago concert, saying concern from fans was not the reason behind her choice to step back.
‘My fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me. But, I just have to say, that could not be more the opposite,’
She also said that setting:
‘boundaries’
is part of looking after herself, noting that time away from the spotlight is sometimes necessary for anyone.
“This can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional and creative life,”
A representative told PEOPLE that Ariana intends to complete the tour:
‘healthily and happily’
before pulling back from public-facing work that has brought continued scrutiny. A source close to the artist emphasized that she “performs a very physical show, and there is a lot of athleticism involved” and “performs healthily and successfully at a very high level night after night.”
As a result of the hiatus, Ariana will no longer appear in the West End production of Sunday in the Park With George, which would have reunited her with Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
She had also previously stepped away from the next season of American Horror Story due to scheduling issues.
Even so, Ariana remains attached to Focker In-Law, where she will appear with Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. The film is scheduled for theaters on November 25 and will mark her first movie role since the Wicked franchise.
Grande has long been outspoken about the toll of public commentary on her body. In a December 2024 podcast interview, she described feeling like a “specimen in a petri dish” since she was 16 years old, sharing that she has “heard every version of what’s wrong with me, and you fix it and then it’s wrong for different reasons.” She has also previously emphasized the need for society to be more thoughtful about commenting on people’s bodies, regardless of whether a person is a public figure.