Ariana Grande directly addressed her decision to step back from public life during her Eternal Sunshine Tour stop in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 3, telling fans the move was neither impulsive nor driven by outside criticism.

A representative for Grande confirmed on Sunday, Aug. 2 — first reported by People — that she will take a break from public-facing work once the tour wraps on Sept. 1. The representative's statement, reported by Rolling Stone, said Grande wants to finish the tour "healthily and happily" before stepping away.

Onstage at the United Center, Grande pushed back on the narrative that negativity had forced her hand. "Sometimes when a story comes out that's not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion," she told the crowd, according to Billboard. She said the announcement was a plan she had "quietly made a long time ago" from a "thoughtful and empowered place."

Grande also countered the suggestion that public scrutiny had soured things for her. "Nothing has been ruined," she said. Boundaries sometimes need to be set, she added, and human beings can need a break. She framed the tour and her new album as the parts she intends to keep: "The rest of that s--t is not mine to carry, so I don't carry it" Billboard.

The break carries a professional cost. Grande has withdrawn from a planned West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park With George, in which she was set to star opposite her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey Billboard. Her next confirmed screen appearance is in Focker-in-Law, opening Nov. 25.

The announcement landed days after the release of her album Petal on July 31. The album's lead single, "Hate That I Made You Love Me," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — her 10th career chart-topper, tying her for the 10th-most No. 1s in the chart's history. A second single, the title track "Petal," followed with a short-film music video in which Grande takes a chainsaw to critics echoing real-world commentary about her appearance.

Grande still has three more Chicago dates after her Aug. 3 remarks, followed by a 10-show London run that closes the tour between Aug. 15 and Sept. 1. She told the Chicago audience she "cannot wait" to see fans on those remaining dates Billboard.

For fans, the message was clear: the shows will go on, the album is here, and everything else is being set down by choice.