Ariana Grande’s long-awaited return to touring has been packed with emotional moments, sold-out crowds, and viral clips from The Eternal Sunshine Tour, but one short video from the opening night in Oakland has sparked an unexpected debate online.
The clip from June 6 showed the singer hurrying across the stage in a flowing white Givenchy gown during a performance of supernatural, prompting some viewers to compare her run to that of a toddler.
Highlights
- A viral video from the opening night of Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine Tour showed her running across the stage in a long Givenchy gown, with some critics harshly comparing her movement to a "toddler".
- Online critics accused the 32-year-old singer of intentionally acting childlike.
- Fans and defenders quickly shut down the criticism, pointing out that running in a heavy, floor-length gown and high heels.
“This is not endearing, infantilizing grown a*s women are disgusting,” wrote one user.
The viral clip from Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour quickly turned into a broader online debate
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The video was taken on June 6 during the opening night of The Eternal Sunshine Tour in Oakland, California.
During Act V of the show, Grande appeared in an ethereal white floral Givenchy gown designed by Sarah Burton.
The dress featured layers of flowing fabric and was part of a wardrobe created to match the dreamy, cinematic atmosphere of the concert.
In the now-viral clip, Grande can be seen moving quickly across the stage before preparing for the show’s levitation sequence during supernatural.
Some viewers immediately focused on the way she was running.
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While several critics claimed the movement looked childlike, others accused the singer of deliberately acting younger than her age.
“‘Endearing’ no, we lost a baddie. I never liked her, but this is performative toddler sh*t, and it's annoying how she changed everything people liked about her,” one commenter wrote.
Another added, “This girl needs another therapy because this one is clearly not working, she's been through sh*t, but it doesn't work like that, she completely changed her personality.”
“Yeah, she's trying to be a child again. She's probably drinking baby blood,” a third person wrote.
While the criticism gained attention, many viewers quickly came to Grande’s defense
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Several viewers argued that the singer was simply trying not to trip while wearing a floor-length gown and high heels.
“Y'all are so annoying. The dress is long af, she is making sure she doesn't trip on it and fall. Please get a grip,” one supporter wrote.
Another added, “The dress is literally long af, she's trying not to trip over it, and somehow y'all turned it into something else.”
Others noted that anyone who has tried to run in formalwear would likely move similarly.
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“Long dress + heels + running is almost impossible because the heels can get stuck on the fabric and make it easy to fall down,” one commenter explained.
“It's not an act, it's the fabric of the dress.”
That defense gained even more traction after fashion outlets highlighted the complexity of Grande's tour costumes.
Stylist Law Roach previously revealed to Vogue that the show's wardrobe was designed to function almost like costumes in a movie, with each look helping tell the story of the Eternal Sunshine era.
Meanwhile, the backlash arrived as Grande continues to face intense scrutiny about her appearance and extreme weight loss
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Since filming Wicked, the singer has repeatedly faced public commentary about her weight and appearance.
Those conversations intensified after she launched The Eternal Sunshine Tour, with photos from opening night leading some fans to express concern about her slim frame.
“She’s basically bones, it’s been concerning since the Wicked movie,” one commenter wrote after seeing images from the concert.
“This is my thought, what happened to my Ari? She’s so thin,” another added.
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Others criticized those comments and argued that the public has become far too comfortable discussing women’s bodies.
“Can we please normalize letting people just exist? This constant analysis of every single photo is honestly exhausting,” one fan wrote.
In a 2023 TikTok video, she explained that the version of her body many people described as “healthy” was actually one of the most difficult periods of her life.
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“The body that you've been comparing my current body to was the unhealthiest version of my body,” she said.
“I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly.”
She also urged people to stop assuming they know what is happening behind the scenes in someone else’s life.
“I think in today's society, there is a comfortability that we shouldn't have at all — commenting on others' looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes or health,” she said.
Some viewers also said the reaction reveals more about the internet than about Grande herself
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For many fans, the debate was less about how Grande ran across the stage and more about how closely her behavior is analyzed.
Behavioral expert Dr. Patrick Wanis previously told Bored Panda that stars who become famous at a young age often face unique scrutiny because fans become attached to a specific version of them.
“Ariana Grande became famous as a Nickelodeon child star around age 17,” he said.
“The public has grown up with her and sees her through the lens of nostalgia, purity, and a fixed image of youth.”
According to Wanis, even small changes in appearance or behavior can become magnified because audiences expect celebrities to remain exactly as they remember them, which helps explain why the debate around Grande’s stage clip resonated so strongly.
People online shared divided reaction after Ariana Grande appeared to be running like a toddler
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