Ariana Grande: ‘Sexuality in Art Not Invitation for Disrespect’

Ariana Grande wrote a series of follow-up tweets to critics of her message detailing a crude incident with a fan of boyfriend Mac Miller. Photo: Courtesy of Disney/ABC Television Group

Ariana Grande continued a conversation about objectification on her Twitter following responses to her message about a crude experience with a fan of boyfriend Mac Miller. Grande’s original message detailed a young boy calling Grande “sexy” and congratulating Miller for “hitting that” in front of, but not directly to, Grande.

In the pop star’s follow-up tweets, she noted that many people’s main critique of her words is that she is “so sexual” in her videos and her music. “Expressing sexuality in art is not an invitation for disrespect,” she explains. “Just like wearing a short skirt is not asking for assault.”

She further stated that expressions of sexuality are a woman’s choice. “You are literally saying that if we look a certain way, we are yours to take,” the singer wrote. “But we are not!!! It’s our right to express ourselves.”

Grande had previously pointed out that her experience with Miller’s fan made her feel “sick and objectified” and “like a piece of meat.” She wanted to share the incident with the public because she felt like it fed into shared feelings of “fear and inadequacy” by the many women who have also been spoken to our about in an uncomfortable way. “We are not objects or prizes. We are QUEENS,” she concluded in her letter.

Miller has yet to comment on the incident. The pair have recorded two duets together, including Grande’s early hit “The Way,” which appeared on her 2013 debut album Yours Truly. Most recently, they teamed up for “My Favorite Part” off Miller’s The Divine Feminine album.