Ariana Grande reveals painful injury ahead of tour finale

Ariana Grande has revealed she is dealing with a painful backstage injury just days before wrapping up her tour, leaving her physically unable to wear her signature high heels on stage.

The pop superstar took to social media to give fans an honest behind-the-scenes look at the physical toll of her demanding live schedule, disclosing that a mishap had resulted in a deep cut on her foot.

Because of the location and severity of the laceration, the singer explained that putting on her usual sky-high stilettos or platform performance boots is completely out of the question for the remaining dates.

“My sweet petals, I wanted to let you know I will need to be in cozy footwear for this evening’s show (and possibly tomorrow’s) as I am bandaged up underneath, recovering from a minor injury,” she wrote via her Instagram Story on Monday, August 31. “It is not a sprain or anything muscular but just a deep cut!”

Grande, who has long made towering high heels an integral part of her iconic stage aesthetic and choreographed routines, told followers that she will have to swap out her usual footwear for flat, supportive shoes to avoid worsening the injury.

Grande has been forced to ditch her signature heels due to the injury (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

Opening up about the discomfort, the Grammy winner admitted that the injury is significantly tender and makes walking, let alone performing high-energy routines, a serious challenge.

“So when you see me tonight without my signature heels, or even possibly having a little trouble putting weight on that foot, that is why!” she explained. “But please do not fret. On with the show and I am on the mend!”

Despite the pain and the sudden wardrobe pivot, the Wicked star made it clear that she has no intention of slowing down or pulling out of her final performances.

Instead, she assured ticket holders that she is adapting her stage presence and choreography so she can safely see the tour through to its conclusion.

“I cannot wait to perform for you tonight and tomorrow (even if I am a few inches shorter than usual) … I love you always ♾️.”

Fans immediately rushed to social media to send well-wishes and praise her dedication, with many pointing out that seeing the pop powerhouse perform in flats or sneakers will be a rare and historic look for her live shows.

Throughout her career, Grande has been famous for performing complex dance numbers in six-inch heels without missing a vocal run.

With medical staff helping to manage the wound backstage between rehearsals, Grande confirmed she is fully focused on delivering a memorable send-off for the tour finale—even if it means trading glamour for practical sneakers to get across the finish line.

Ariana will be taking an extended break after concluding her tour on Tuesday (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

The announcement comes just two days before the singer is set to take an extended break from the spotlight, after announcing she would be stepping back to focus on herself last month.

“Sometimes when a story comes out that’s not directly from me, things can get a little blown out of proportion,” she told her audience on August 3. “So I just wanted to speak to my fans directly tonight because I love you so much. The announcement that was made yesterday was not a reactive or impulsive thing.”

She continued, “It is something that I had decided to plan that I had quietly made a long time ago and it’s a decision that was made from a thoughtful and empowered place. And I want you to know many things can be true at the same time. I want to share this because I heard that my fans were worried that negativity was ruining things for me, but I just have to say that could not be more the f*** opposite.”

Grande went on to say that while boundaries needed “to be set,” she also wanted a well-deserved “break.”

"Also, this can be and will continue to be the greatest experience of my professional and creative life,” she shared. “No matter what noises exist out there, nothing will ever be able to distort my reality or be more real to me or elaborate to me than this love that we share. The rest of that s*** is not mine to carry, so I don’t carry it. I need to get out here and differentiate that from my truth for you all because I love you and this tour has been the most healing, beautiful, corrective, magnificent, special experience of my life.”