Ariana Grande Speaks Out About Being Objectified

If you're a woman, chances are you have a story about a time a man harassed you or made you feel uncomfortable. It's awful and unfair, but for many of us, it's reality, and not even celebrities are immune. And now, one is opening up about what she has experienced. This week, Ariana Grande spoke out about a male fan objectifying her, and she's absolutely right for standing up for herself.

Late Tuesday night, Grande took to Twitter to share a story that will probably sound all too familiar to many of us. In her post, the Hairspray star wrote that she and boyfriend Mac Miller were out getting dinner when they were approached by one of Miller's male fans. At first, he seemed excited to meet the rapper, and then, it turned into something else entirely when he made a remark that was definitely not OK.

According to Grande, the unnamed fan said, "Ariana is sexy as hell, man, I see you. I see you hitting that." That comment on its own is disrespectful enough, but when you consider the fact that it was also said while Grande was sitting next to Miller, it's even worse. But Grande isn't letting this one slide, and she shouldn't have to.

In her post, she wrote:

This may not seem like a big deal to some of you but I felt sick and objectified. I was also sitting right there when he said it. (?) I've felt really quiet and hurt since that moment. Things like [that] happen all the time and are the kinds of moments that contribute to women's sense of fear and inadequacy. I am not a piece of meat that a man gets to utilize for his pleasure. I'm an adult human being in a relationship with a man who treats me with love and respect.

Grande is absolutely right. She's a 23-year-old talented, successful, accomplished women, and yet even she felt silenced and uncomfortable by what happened to her. Her story may hit close to home for many of us, but it's great that she's talking about it. Maybe by sharing her experience, she's making more people aware that this is a thing that actually does happen all the time, and that's part of the process of ending that kind of behavior altogether.

And at the end of her post — my favorite part — she added a message for anyone who's ever been in the same situation. She wrote:

I felt like speaking out about this one experience tonight because I know very well that most women know the sensation of being spoken about in an uncomfortable way publicly or being taken advantage of publicly by a man. We need to talk about these moments openly because they are harmful and they live on inside of us as shame. We need to share and be vocal when something makes us feel uncomfortable because if we don't, it will just continue. We are not objects or prizes. We are QUEENS.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I hate that this happened to Grande, but maybe, by sharing her story, something positive will come out of this experience. Good for her for speaking up. Hopefully, she's just encouraged more women to do the same.