There’s many reasons to love Ariana Grande: the bops, the outfits, the extremely strong social media game. But what’s helped take her from a popstar to an icon-in-the-making is how openly she wears her heart on her sleeve. Since the 2017 terrorist attack that saw 22 people killed while attending a concert of Grande’s, she’s been fully transparent with fans about her life – whether she’s discussing her struggles with PTSD or writing hit songs about previous relationships.

Yet concerns about the singer’s wellbeing were heightened recently, after a video circulated that appeared to show her crying on stage during a stop on her current world tour. 

After the clip of Grande sobbing during ‘REM’ went viral, she was inundated with urging from people on social media to cancel the tour for the good of her health. The response was so overwhelming that Grande took to both Instagram to reassure fans that she was ok – and explain her ‘humanness’.

“I’m grateful for the sea of love I have around me everyday,” the 25-year-old wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post.  

“It’s a dream come true, no matter how hard it gets or how many feelings come up that are screaming at me to be processed and sorted through one day,” Grande continued.

“I feel everything very intensely and have committed to this tour at a time in my life when I’m still processing a lot… so sometimes I cry a lot! I thank you for accepting my humanness […] I’m sharing this because I’m grateful and I want you to know that if you too are hurting, you can push through and are not alone.” 

She also took some time to reply to individual worried fans on Twitter.

“I will not put myself in harm’s way,” Grande reassured one supporter.

“I’m healing through this experience and happy to be doing it with you by my side. Sometimes we have waves of sadness! That’s okay. I’m not afraid of it. Love you. These shows have been making me really happy lately, even the tough parts.” 

Although embarking on a nine-mouth global tour might not be everyone’s idea of ‘healing’, if she says she’s fine – she’s fine. Grande, after all, has previously demonstrated that she knows when to prioritise self-care over work. Just last year, she decided to take a break from social media and said it was “time to say bye bye to the internet for just a lil bit”.

“It’s hard not to bump news and stuff that I’m trying not to see right now,” she said at the time. “It’s very sad and we’re all trying very hard to keep going. Love you [all], and thank you for being here always.”

We think she’s in safe hands… her own.

Images: Getty