Ariana Grande looks unrecognizable as grandma in new short film amid fan concern over her health

Ariana Grande looked unrecognizable as she transformed into an grandma in her new short film Brighter Days Ahead - which accompanies the Eternal Sunshine Deluxe album that dropped on Friday.

The Wicked star, 31 - who has sparked fears for her health recently - sported prosthetics and heavy make-up, along with a grey wig for the shock makeover.

To celebrate her short film - which was in collaboration with Christian Breslauer - the Oscar nominee uploaded a photo of herself on Instagram after becoming a grandma.

A bright spotlight shone down to better showcase Ariana's makeup which added wrinkles to both her face and hands as she flashed a small smile in the image.

In the 26-minute video, the songstress portrayed the character of Peaches - which she first debuted in the 2024 music video for her hit song We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love). 

The short film takes a deeper dive into the premise of last year's video - which took inspiration from the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind - as Peaches goes to a clinic to wipe away her memories. 

The beginning of the lengthy video showed an older Ariana as she sat in a wheelchair in the waiting room of Brighter Days Inc. 

A nurse soon came out and called for 'Peaches' which Grande did not initially hear due to her hearing aid not properly working. 

The star was then taken to a room where she could relive some of her most beloved memories on a big screen - which would then promptly be erased from her mind forever. 

Throughout the short film, new songs from the deluxe album were played, such as Twilight Zone. 

The first memory showed Ariana from her younger childhood days followed by her time as a pop star. 

In another moment from Peaches' past, the star could be seen walking through the wreckage of a home before stepping outside to show an entire town destroyed. 

She made her way through the debris and scattered flames until she stopped underneath a large UFO and was abducted by the craft. 

The last memory showcased Grande's track Hampstead and features her real-life father Ed Butera. 

He played a man who founded the current Brighter Days Clinic but the past moment took place before the success of his enterprise. 

Her father could be seen stitching his daughter back together - similar to Frankenstein - and emotionally concluded as they played the piano together. 

The short film officially came to an end with another snippet of Grande from when she was younger. 

The video, 'explores love, loss, growth, and the fleeting nature of memory, delivering a heartfelt cinematic experience that closes the door on this eternal sunshine album era,' per an official description. 

Prior to the release of the deluxe album on Friday, Grande dropped her seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine one year earlier in march 2024. 

The LP jumped to the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart, and also garnered a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album

However, despite releasing additional tracks, the former Nickelodeon star shared that she didn't have plans to go on tour in the near future.

Late last year in December, the beauty told Variety: 'I feel so grateful to the acting, and I think my fans know that music and being on stage will always be a part of my life, but I don’t see it coming anytime soon.

'The next few years, hopefully we'll be exploring different forms of art, and I think acting is feeling like home right now.' 

She added, 'I am appreciative for [my fans'] understanding. I'm so grateful for the ways in which we've grown together over this whole journey with Wicked. But music will always be a part of my life. I'll perform at my mother's house.' 

Last month it was reported the singer's friends are worried that her non-stop schedule is taking a toll on her health. 

The singer and actress who stunned in a blush pink and black gown at the BAFTAs in London, also caused concern among fans with the look. 

Many noticed that her sternum was clearly visible in her sleeveless Louis Vuitton gown, which had a plunging neckline. 

Het latest appearance left many fans unsettled as they believed her gaunt look may be a sign of something more serious. 

'It’s physically so demanding,' a former colleague of Grande’s said of the Wicked Star's schedule, according to Page Six.  

Immediately after the BAFTAs, Grande flew to Tokyo, where she has been promoting Wicked ahead of its March 7 debut in theaters. 

'I don’t even think your body knows when it needs to eat,' the former co-worker explained. 

'You’re sleeping when you’re supposed to be up, and you’re up when you’re supposed to be sleeping,' they explained.

'Between that, and the fashion women deal with – the hair, the makeup, and the nails – it’s nonstop running. It’s superhuman,' the insider declared. 

'It’s just the non-stop running on that kind of schedule and that kind of level. It definitely takes a toll on your health — it’s that much harder to take care of yourself — mentally as well as physically,' they added.

That kind of tough schedule means, 'You always have to be on. You have to really be measured about what you say, you always have to be thinking, "If I say this, is it going to come out like this?" Your brain is nonstop working.'

Another source, who allegedly worked for Grande in the past, noted the singer has struggled with anxiety for years, but managed to push through. 

'I never got a sense from her that she didn't like who she was or how she looked,' the former employee said. 

After Grande dyed her hair a light blonde for her role as Glinda in 2023, fans began to voice their concerns about her appearance, and what appeared to be weight loss from her petite frame.

'There are many different ways to look healthy and beautiful,' Grande said in a 2023 TikTok video, explaining that her previous appearance was 'the unhealthiest version of my body.'

'I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point in my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy,' she told them. 

Grande has admitted to suffering from PTSD following the fatal bombing at her May 2017 concert in Manchester, England which killed 22 people.  

The Everyday singer grew emotional when she talked about the close examination of her appearance by people who don't know her in a conversation with French content creator Crazy Sally, whose real name is Salima Jeanne Poumbga, in December.

'In today’s society, there’s a comfortability that we shouldn’t have at all, commenting on other’s looks, appearance, what they think is going on behind the scenes or health or how they present themselves,' she said.

'You never know what someone is going through,' she added. 

Joey LaVarco, 29, who starred with Grande in 13 on Broadway in 2008, said the actress is likely using her training to deal with the strict schedule. 

'I'm sure it's a roller coaster. I’m sure it’s mostly great. Like everything it comes with its cons. You learn resilience at a very young age working on Broadway. There’s too much money and not a lot of time involved,' he explained.