Ariana Grande has revealed a heartbreaking letter she wrote to fans about the 2017 bombing attack that killed 22 and injured hundreds at her Manchester Arena concert in England.
In an episode of Grande’s docuseries “Dangerous Woman Diaries” posted to YouTube Premium on Thursday, the 25-year-old pop star revisited the horror of that May night, calling it “heartbreaking in a way that seems impossible to fully recover from.”
“I’m writing to you this February 22, 2018,” she began the letter.
“It’s been eight months since the attack at our show at the Manchester Arena. It’s impossible to know where to start or to know what to say about this part. May 22, 2017, will leave me speechless and filled with questions for the rest of my life,” she wrote, per CNN.
“Music is an escape. Music is the safest thing I’ve ever known,” the “God Is A Woman” singer continued. “Music — pop music, stan culture — is something that brings people together, introduces them to some of their best friends, and makes them feel like they can be themselves. It is comfort. It is fun. It is expression. It is happiness. It is the last thing that would ever harm someone. It is safe.”
“When something so opposite and so poisonous takes place in your world that is supposed to be everything but that... it is shocking and heartbreaking in a way that seems impossible to fully recover from.”
Grande praised the strength of the families victimized by the attack.
Ariana Grande performs during her One Love Manchester benefit for victims of the bombing at her concert in 2017. (Photo: The Telegraph)
“The spirit of the people of Manchester, the families affected by this horrendous tragedy, and my fans around the world have permanently impacted all of us for the rest of our lives,” she wrote, according to People. “Their love, strength, and unity showed me, my team, my dancers, band, and entire crew not to be defeated. To continue during the scariest and saddest of times. To not let hate win. But instead, love as loudly as possible, and to appreciate every moment.”
“The people of Manchester were able to change an event that portrayed the worst of humanity into one that portrayed the most beautiful of humanity... I think of Manchester constantly and will carry this with me every day for the rest of my life,” Grande added, per Vulture.
The docuseries did not show footage of the fateful concert but did air highlights of her benefit concert weeks later, Vulture noted.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 23: Actress Ariana Grande arrives at Nickelodeon's 26th Annual Kids' Choice Awards at USC Galen Center on March 23, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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