Pop star Ariana Grande plans to step away from the public eye amid criticism over her skeletal appearance in her “Petal” music video.
In a social media post over the weekend, British-American actress Jameela Jamil accused Ariana’s team of purposefully accentuating Ariana’s skin-and-bones look for public discourse.
Jameela wrote:
“This poor woman is possibly dying right in front of us. This outfit is designed to accentuate the thinness for discourse. Her team are [sic] thoroughly responsible for not guiding her away from this deeply damaging image for her young fans to see so glamorized.”
Ariana, 33, responded to the backlash by announcing she is stepping away from the spotlight after her tour ends.
The singer/actress said she plans to “take a step back from visibility” after wrapping her “Eternal Sunshine Tour” in London on September 1, her rep tells PEOPLE. Ariana blamed the “endless, ongoing public scrutiny” surrounding her public appearances.
Fans compared Ariana’s situation to pop singer Karen Carpenter who died in 1983 while recovering from anorexia nervosa. She was 32 and weighed 90 pounds.
In the 1980s, an epidemic of anorexia nervosa and bulimia eating disorders swept the nation’s schools. Thousands of adolescent and teenage girls were hospitalized with eating disorders.
The U.S. government developed awareness programs to warn young girls of the dangers of eating disorders. Young girls in the ’80s were influenced by peer pressure and pop culture portrayals of thin runway models and skinny celebrities.