Ariana Grande has admitted she felt “deeply misunderstood” in 2023, amid her surprising romance with Ethan Slater.
Although she felt misunderstood throughout the year, the singer also noted that she experienced “polarized feelings” constantly and that it has been the “most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest” year of her life.
The actress has spent the past year in a Broadway bubble, as she filmed the movie version of the hit musical Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire’s book Wicked: Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Ariana will star as Glinda aka The Good Witch in the Jon M. Chu directed films.
In a lengthy statement shared on Instagram, Ariana wrote: “One of the most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest and most special years of my life. There were so many beautiful and 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.”
“I have everything I could have possibly given of my heart and of myself to the projects I was fortunate enough to be a part of and learned so much from every brilliant, beautiful, soul that I had the privilege of creating art with and crossing paths with.”
“I have 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,” she continued.
“I have learned and how much more important one of those things is than the other.”
“I have never felt more tightly held of fiercely protected by those who love and understand me (friends, family and fans alike). I feel safe, even amidst so many things I’d usually be afraid of. I am listening to and trusting myself, even when fear or trauma tells me not to.”
“I am reacting to things that deserve my energy and removing and protecting myself from things that do not.”
Ariana explained: “I am so eternally grateful for all of the feelings I was lucky enough to feel so deeply this year. Mine and Galinda’s alike.
“The unfathomably hard ones and the inexplicably happy ones. I feel more human than ever. I feel more deeply than ever. I feel softer and stronger, all at once.”
Ariana concluded her story and said: “I am wrapping you all in a cocoon of love and wishing you a very happy, healthy new year.
“If you ever feel misunderstood or alone, just remember that it will pass and you are not. Take a deep breath and know that you are so incredibly loved. I cannot wait for next year. :).”
The movie version of Wicked will be split into two parts, released one year apart.
Wicked Part 1 was originally set for release on December 25th, 2024, but it has been moved forward to November 27th 2024. The second part is still set to hit our screens on December 25th, 2025.
The crew and cast faced a huge halt in production during the writers strike that saw the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists’ (SAG-AFTRA) go on strike for 148 days.
However, Ariana faced an even bigger controversy this year as she separated from husband Dalton Gomez, and began dating her Wicked co-star Ethan Slater.
According to TMZ, the songstress struck up a romance with the actor, who plays Boq in the film adaption of the Broadway musical, earlier this year.
The actor is well-known in the Broadway scene, and landed a Tony Award nomination for his role in the stage production of SpongeBob Squarepants.
Sources have claimed they’ve been dating for several months, but didn’t start seeing each other until after Ariana split from her husband Dalton Gomez in January.
The singer’s split from Dalton hit headlines in July after TMZ reported that they had secretly split in January.
The former Nickelodeon star married the realtor in a “tiny and intimate” ceremony at their home in Montecito on May 15, 2021.
