Fans divided over Ariana Grande’s appearance in new ‘Petal’ video

Ariana Grande’s new Petal music video sparked a wave of concern from fans over her appearance, reigniting a conversation about body-shaming that the singer has addressed publicly before.

The video, released Friday, is styled as an audition sequence with a Grease-inspired look, black leggings, an off-the-shoulder top, retro sunglasses and her signature ponytail, this time worn in tight ringlets.

Grande, 33, shared a clip over the weekend captioned “petal, music video out now.”

In the days since, fans have expressed worry about her thin appearance across social media, with some going so far as to say she looked unwell and needed support. 

Others pushed back hard against that framing, arguing that commenting on Grande’s body at all constitutes body-shaming regardless of the direction, and urging people to focus on the music rather than her physique. 

One fan on X wrote a pointed defense, arguing that speculating publicly about her weight isn’t a sign of genuine care.

This isn’t the first time Grande has faced this kind of scrutiny. 

In a 2024 interview, she became emotional when asked how she copes with the pressure women feel to look a certain way, saying commentary on someone’s appearance can be uncomfortable “no matter what scale you’re experiencing it on”, comparing it to a relative remarking on weight changes at a holiday dinner. 

She added that society has developed an troubling comfort with commenting on other people’s bodies, faces and presentation, calling that dynamic “really dangerous.” 

In November, she resurfaced that same interview clip on her Instagram Stories, writing that it served as “a loving reminder to all.”

Watch Ariana Grande in Petals music video below: