Ariana Grande Talks PTSD After Manchester Attack

Ariana Grande said she’s been grappling with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder since the terrorist attack outside her concert in Manchester last year.

In an interview with British Vogue, Grande said, “It’s hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss. But, yeah, it’s a real thing. I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well.”

Twenty-two people were killed in the May 2017 attack, and Grande remains somewhat reluctant to discuss the incident and its aftermath. “Time is the biggest thing,” she said. “I feel like I shouldn’t even be talking about my own experience – like I shouldn’t even say anything. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.”

Immediately after the attack, Grande canceled a handful of tour dates, but quickly returned to the road after hosting the all-star “One Love Manchester” benefit that raised over $13 million for victims. But when the trek ended, Grande said her anxiety reached new levels of intensity.

“I’ve always had anxiety,” she said. “I’ve never really spoken about it because I thought everyone had it, but when I got home from tour it was the most severe I think it’s ever been.”

In a recent interview with Time, Grande spoke about how making her new album, Sweetener, aided her healing process. “I was never as involved,” she said. “I felt more inclined to tap into my feelings because I was spending more time with them. I was talking about them more. I was in therapy more.” 

In April, Grande released “No Tears Left to Cry,” the first song off Sweetener. At a concert Saturday, she teased another new track, “The Light Is Coming,” which will feature Nicki Minaj and is set to arrive June 20th.