• Ariana Grande reflects on her challenging and transformative year
• She discards misconceptions and protective of her relationships
• Grande feels gratitude for the emotional range of the year and looks forward to the future.
Here is what happened:
Ariana Grande is saying “Thank U, Next” to 2023. While looking back on her year—one that included her divorce from Dalton Gomez, as well as the debut of her romance with “Wicked” costar Ethan Slater—the “Break Free” singer addressed misconceptions about her. “One of the most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest and most special years of my life,” she began her Dec. 29 message, posted to Instagram Story. “There were so many beautiful yet polarized feelings. I’ve never felt more at the mercy of and in acceptance of what life was screaming to teach me. I’ve never felt more fulfilled by or present in my work, being able to cherish every moment.”
The 30-year-old went on to note that she gave everything to the projects she worked on this year and learned so much from her collaborators. And although she’s celebrating her triumphs, Grande is also reflecting on commentary from strangers. As she shared, “I’ve never felt more pride or joy or love while simultaneously feeling so deeply misunderstood by people who don’t know me, who piece whispers together and make what they want out of me and their assumptions of my life.”
“I have learned how much more important one of those things is than the other,” she added. “I have never felt more tightly held or fiercely protected by those who love and understand me (friends, family, and fans alike).” Grande also acknowledged her personal growth, sharing that she now feels safe in situations she’d normally be fearful of.
Grande, who will portray Glinda in the “Wicked” films, also noted that she’s grateful for the range of emotions she felt this year. That includes the “unfathomably hard ones and the inexplicably happy ones,” she told her fans, adding that she feels more human than ever. “I feel softer and stronger, all at once.” As Grande enters a new chapter in her personal life, keep reading to see more 2023 celebrity breakups.