Ariana Grande and her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo shocked fans on the red carpet earlier this month, appearing ‘much thinner’.
At the premiere of their new film, fans online expressed concern that Ariana looked “very vulnerable,” while others took a more playful look, saying, “Ozempic is Ozempicking!”
Cosmetic doctors warn that the dramatic transformation in both stars could be due to their restrictive vegan diets, which require careful management.
Dr. Dennis Schimpf, a plastic surgeon in South Carolina, warned that the diets put people at risk of a protein deficiency, which can cause muscle to atrophy, leaving literally “skin and bones.”
He also said that Ariana’s apparently much paler appearance could be due to a nutritional deficiency caused by her restrictive diet.
Ex-vegans posting online also say they see a reflection of their struggles in Ariana’s appearance, adding that her appearance resembles “end-stage veganism.”
Dr. Schimpf told DailyMail.com: ‘Vegan diets often have problems with protein, which causes muscle wasting.
‘Often strict vegans must take significant protein supplements or add protein powders to their smoothies. ‘
But the doctors could not rule out that Ozempic or the stress of filming and promoting a major Hollywood blockbuster played a role in their radical transformations.
The above image, posted online, shows Ariana Grande at a show in 2018 and again at the same show, also in a pink dress, in 2024
‘And although they can increase protein intake this way, the type of protein is not as effective as, for example, steak, chicken and fish. Supplemented proteins are generally not as effective as dietary proteins.’
Ariana has been vegan for over a decade and revealed the change in her diet in 2013 due to her love of animals such as dogs, goats and seahorses.
Cynthia has also been vegan since 2018, initially making the switch because her body “couldn’t handle red meat” before sticking to it for ethical reasons.
Ariana said in one 2017 interview with PopSugar her trainer said the 31-year-old survives daily on smoothies, salads, brown rice, tofu and stir-fry vegetables.
For snacks, she usually consumes berries — especially blueberries and strawberries, which she said in a tweet last month were her “favorite” and that she had “five a day.”
Dr. Schimpf added: “Pale skin can (also) indicate nutritional stress, although honestly it’s very difficult to judge in these celebrities.
“They are never photographed completely untouched or without makeup or bronzer or some kind of concealer on the skin.”
The images above show Ariana Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo before Wicked
And again, after the production of the Wicked movie
He said it is also possible that alcohol consumption or stress could be the cause of a nutritional deficiency, which can lead to pale skin.
And he added that the pale skin could be due to certain treatments or lasers that slightly changed the tone or hue.
The FDA says the average woman needs about 46 grams of protein per day, or less than one whole steak or about one and a half cups of tofu.
Research has previously shown that without careful management, a vegan diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies and health problems, causing symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, muscle wasting and skin problems.
Cynthia also revealed this month how the couple were stressed during the filming of Wicked, with production halted several times due to the Covid pandemic and then the writers striking out.
She told me New York Times: ‘At first (the strike) felt like an interruption, and as it went on, it felt like the rest we needed. We had worked ourselves to the bone.
“I was very grateful because the next thing we had to do (until the attack happened) was ‘defy gravity,’ and it felt like the universe was saying, ‘You need your full strength to do this.’
Dr. Schimpf added, “Stress can lead to significant weight loss and changes in eating habits.”
“I love Ariana and I don’t think people should comment on other people’s bodies at all, but you can’t possibly look at her and not think she’s not healthy,” one user said. Pictured, at the London premiere last night
Posing alongside co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey, the star showed off slender shoulders and prominent collarbones, while her sternum was also visible. Pictured, at the London premiere last night
In a YouTube interview with First we party three months ago Ariana said her Italian family ‘always trying to give me meatballs’.
She added that her grandmother also often forgot, or pretended to forget, that she was vegan.
Plastic surgeons also said it was impossible not to rule out Ozempic as the potential driving force behind Ariana’s sudden weight loss.
Dr. David Shokrian, a plastic surgeon in New York City, told DailyMail.com: ‘It doesn’t have to be Ozempic, it could be weight loss of course, but the speed at which it happened…
“It’s just harder if you’re already thin to get even thinner over that time without a real change in diet and exercise routine.”
He added, “In Ozempic you see these dramatic shifts in a short period of time.”
The Twitter account Recovering Vegan, run by journalist Giselle Bisson, who was vegan for 18 years before developing health problems, said on Twitter/X: ‘Ariana Grande has been vegan since 2013. This looks like ‘end-stage vegan’ malnutrition, B-12 deficiency and ozalate overload.
‘She mainly eats salads and blueberries. The ponytail is probably a hairpiece.”
Oxalate overload is when there is too much oxalate in the blood, with oxalate being a substance found in animals and plants that can cause kidney stones.
Another Twitter user said: ‘This is what years of a vegan diet did to Ariana Grande.
‘It’s heartbreaking to see a similar deterioration happening to all my vegan friends back home.
“I’m afraid the propaganda is so deeply ingrained in their minds that they won’t regain consciousness until they are literally on the brink of death.”