Ariana Grande Speaks Out About Objectification

After taking to Twitter to detail an interaction she had with one of Mac Miller’s fans earlier this week that made her feel “sick and objectified,” Ariana Grande sent out a few more tweets to clarify her opinion.

Grande explained in Tuesday’s Twitter post that she and Miller, her boyfriend, were returning to their car Tuesday evening after getting takeout food and they were followed by a young fan of Miller’s, who was “loud and excited.”

She says she thought the fan’s enthusiasm was cute until the kid said, “Ariana is sexy as hell, man. I see you, I see you hitting that.”

“Hitting that? The f**k?? This may not seem like a big deal to some of you but I felt sick and objectified,” Grande wrote. “I was also sitting right there when he said it. (?) I’ve felt really quiet and hurt since that moment. Things like [that] happen all the time and are the kinds of moments that contribute to women’s sense of fear and inadequacy. I am not a piece of meat that a man gets to utilize for his pleasure. I’m an adult human being in a relationship with a man who treats me with love and respect.”

The pop singer went on to say that she decided to post about the experience because she knows most women can relate, whether it’s “being spoken about in an uncomfortable way publicly or taken advantage of publicly by a man. We need to talk about these moments openly because they are harmful and they live on inside of us as shame. We need to share and be vocal when something makes us feel uncomfortable because if we don’t, it will just continue. We are not objects or prizes. We are QUEENS.” 

Greg Allen / Invision / AP – Ariana Grande
Madison Square Garden Arena, New York City

Grande messaged back and forth with a few fans including one Twitter user who asked how Miller handled the interaction. She wrote, “Although this isn’t about his reaction, he drove the f**k away !! He is a sweet bear & I am falling asleep feeling safe & loved.”

Some reached out to Grande to criticize her stage costumers and some of her overtly sexual material, such as the single “Side to Side,” featuring Nicki Minaj.

In response, Grande sent out the following tweets Wednesday, defending her public image.

“Seeing a lot of ‘but look how you portray yourself in videos and in your music! You’re so sexual!’ … Expressing sexuality in art is not an invitation for disrespect !!! Just like wearing a short skirt is not asking for assault.

“Women’s choice. ♡ Our bodies, our clothing, our music, our personalities….. sexy, flirty, fun. It is not. an open. invitation.”