Ariana Grande looks unrecognizable as grandma in new short film amid fan concern over her health

Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵


Ariana Grande Transforms into Elderly Woman for ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ Short Film

Pop sensation Ariana Grande debuted a startling transformation into an older woman in her new short film, Brighter Days Ahead, released alongside the Eternal Sunshine Deluxe album on Friday. The Grammy-winning artist, aged 31, surprised viewers with the aged appearance, achieved with prosthetics and extensive makeup, sparking considerable online buzz.

Dramatic Makeover for Music Project

To commemorate the release of her latest visual project, a collaboration with director Christian Breslauer, Ariana Grande, an Academy Award nominee, shared a photograph on Instagram showcasing her dramatic “granny” persona. A focused spotlight emphasized the intricate makeup, highlighting artificial wrinkles on her face and hands as she offered a subtle smile.

In the 26-minute short film, Grande embodies “Peaches,” a character initially introduced in her 2024 music video for the popular track “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love).”

Exploring Memory and Loss

The Brighter Days Ahead film expands upon the narrative established in the previous video, drawing inspiration from the acclaimed 2004 movie, “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind.” The storyline follows Peaches as she enters a clinic specializing in memory erasure.

Inside the ‘Brighter Days’ Clinic

The film opens with an aged Ariana Grande as Peaches, seated in a wheelchair in the waiting area of Brighter Days Inc. A nurse calls out for “Peaches,” initially unheard due to Peaches’ malfunctioning hearing aid.

Subsequently, Peaches is escorted to a room where she can revisit cherished memories on a large screen, moments destined for deletion from her mind.

Soundtrack of Memories: New Tracks Featured

Throughout the short film, viewers are treated to new songs from the deluxe album, including “Twilight Zone.”

The initial memory sequence depicts Ariana Grande‘s childhood, followed by her ascent to pop stardom.

Another flashback shows Peaches navigating the ruins of a home amidst a town in ruins. Making her way through debris and flames, she pauses beneath a large UFO before being abducted by the spacecraft.

The final memory segment, set to Grande’s track “Hampstead,” features her father, Ed Butera, portraying the founder of the Brighter Days Clinic before its prosperity. In a poignant scene, her father is shown tending to a younger Peaches, seemingly piecing her back together in a manner reminiscent of Frankenstein, culminating in an emotional piano duet.

The short film concludes with another glimpse of a younger Grande.

An official description states the video “explores love, loss, growth, and the fleeting nature of memory, delivering a heartfelt cinematic experience that closes the door on this eternal sunshine album era.”

‘Eternal Sunshine’ Album Success

Ahead of the deluxe album release, Ariana Grande‘s seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, debuted in March 2024, reaching the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart and securing a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.

Touring Plans on Hold

Despite releasing additional tracks, the former Nickelodeon star has indicated that she does not foresee embarking on a tour in the immediate future.

In a late December interview with Variety, she expressed, “I feel so grateful to the acting, and I think my fans know that music and being on stage will always be a part of my life, but I don’t see it coming anytime soon.”

She further added, “The next few years, hopefully we’ll be exploring different forms of art, and I think acting is feeling like home right now. I am appreciative for [my fans’] understanding. I’m so grateful for the ways in which we’ve grown together over this whole journey with Wicked. But music will always be a part of my life. I’ll perform at my mother’s house.”

Concerns Regarding Grande’s Well-being

Recent reports suggest that friends of the singer are concerned about the potential impact of her demanding schedule on her health. Concerns were heightened following her appearance at the BAFTAs in London, where fans noted her visibly slender physique in a sleeveless gown.

Her recent public appearances have prompted unease among fans, with some suggesting her appearance may indicate underlying health issues.

Demanding Schedule and Health Impact

“It’s physically so demanding,” a former colleague of Grande commented regarding the Wicked star’s rigorous schedule, as reported by Page Six.

Immediately following the BAFTAs, Grande traveled to Tokyo for Wicked promotional activities leading up to its March 7 theatrical release.

The former co-worker elaborated on the pressures: “You’re sleeping when you’re supposed to be up, and you’re up when you’re supposed to be sleeping. Between that, and the fashion women deal with – the hair, the makeup, and the nails – it’s nonstop running. It’s superhuman.”

They continued, “It’s just the non-stop running on that kind of schedule and that kind of level. It definitely takes a toll on your health — it’s that much harder to take care of yourself — mentally as well as physically.”

Such intense demands mean, “You always have to be on. You have to really be measured about what you say, you always have to be thinking, ‘If I say this, is it going to come out like this?’ Your brain is nonstop working.”

Addressing Past Anxiety and Body Image

Another source, claiming past employment with Grande, mentioned the singer’s long-term struggle with anxiety, which she has managed to overcome. “I never got a sense from her that she didn’t like who she was or how she looked,” the former employee stated.

Following Grande’s hair transformation to blonde for her role as Glinda in 2023, fans began expressing concern about her changed appearance and perceived weight loss.

However, in a 2023 TikTok video, Grande addressed these concerns, stating, “There are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful,” clarifying that her previous appearance represented “the unhealthiest version of my body.”

“I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point in my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy,” she revealed.

PTSD and Public Scrutiny

Ariana Grande has openly discussed her experience with PTSD following the tragic 2017 Manchester bombing incident at her concert, which resulted in 22 fatalities.

The “Everyday” vocalist became emotional when discussing the intense public examination of her physique in a conversation with French content creator Crazy Sally in December. She commented on the pervasive “comfortability that we shouldn’t have at all, commenting on other’s looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes or health or how they present themselves.”

“You never know what someone is going through,” she concluded.

Broadway Roots and Resilience

Joey LaVarco, a co-star from Grande’s 2008 Broadway production of “13,” suggested that the actress is likely utilizing her theatrical training to manage her demanding schedule. “You learn resilience at a very young age working on Broadway. There’s too much money and not a lot of time involved,” he explained, acknowledging the rollercoaster nature of such a career.


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