Ariana Grande Urges Entertainment Companies to Integrate Mental Health and Therapy Services into Contracts

Ariana Grande advocates for mental health protections in contracts

Ariana Grande urged that entertainment companies include mental health protection services in artists’ contracts – see what she said below.

Supporting the call for better artist care

Appearing in the episode on February 10 of WTF with Mark Maron podcast, the singer-actor announced her support for Chappell Roan’s recent request at Grammy 2025 for labels to take better care of their artists.

Grande began her career as a teenager in the Nickelodeon series Victorious and later gained more attention with Sam and Cat before pursuing music. Recently, she has been recognized as a co-writer for the film adaptation of Wicked and will star in the sequel, Evil: Forever, set to release in 2025.

In her conversation with Maron, Grande reflected on her experiences as a young performer and the significant benefits of proper mental health services when working at such a global scale.

She stated: “It is so important that these sound recordings, these studios, these television studios, these large production companies become part of the contract when you sign up to do anything that will change your life on such a scale, because you may need a therapist multiple times a week.”

Additionally, Grande emphasized that companies should take responsibility for their artists, recognizing that life drastically changes with fame, especially when labels push them for greater success.

“When these people take on roles that transform their lives, or when they achieve success, that should not be a point of negotiation in the contract,” she continued. “Being an artist means being a vulnerable person with your heart on your sleeve.”

Reflecting on her early experiences with public scrutiny, Grande shared with Maron, “There were no limits to what I faced between my Nickelodeon roles and the debut album ‘Yours Truly’ regarding my image, relationships, and more. I was only 19 when all of this started happening to me, and it’s just a puzzling experience that I grapple with.”

Grande’s remarks came a week after Chappell Roan made headlines at the Grammys for speaking out against the entertainment industry and urging labels to provide fair compensation and healthcare for artists, particularly emerging talent.

Roan faced criticism from Jeffrey Rabhan, a veteran music director and former chairman of the Clive Davis Institute at New York University, who labeled her comments in a guest column for the Hollywood Reporter as “misguided” and “ignorant.”

Since then, Roan has donated $25,000 of her own money to organizations supporting artists, such as Noa Kirel and Charli XCX.

In a four-star review for Wicked, Nick Levin wrote for NME: “Wicked‘s highs are a little uneven, but it does not diminish the dramatic climax where Elphaba and Glinda journey to Oz to meet the legendary Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). He and Michelle Yeoh shine in their brief musical numbers, but both Erivo and Grande are extraordinary.”

The second film, Evil: Forever, is set to release on November 21 of this year and will feature an original song co-written by Schwartz and the film’s other lead, Cynthia Erivo.